There are many exceptions, and of course many other brands out there, but now you can tell how old most Fenders or Gibsons are within seconds. Serial numbers for Sigma guitars built in Korea and Taiwan are perhaps meaningless, though again some seem to indicate the year of manufacture (e.g. The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formatsfrom 25 factories. Understanding these numbers can be difficult, because they seem to hold no information about the guitar. A serial number not only confirms the authenticity of your guitar but can impact the value. The remaining digits are important for product identification, but the first few characters are all you need to determine the instruments age. The prefix ‘L’ at the beginning of a serial number indicates a guitar from the early ’60s. Country of Manufacture. The serial number represents the date and time your guitar was built, in a specific format. Here's how: Gibsons have this pattern stamped onto the back of their headstocks: The remaining characters (RRR) can indicate the order of instruments created that day, as well as which factory the instrument was made in. NOTE: This number includes all models for a particular reissue year - so, for example, a 1958 Reissue serial number may include '58 Reissue LP Standard and '58 Explorer production. Serial numbers starting with '311xxxx' on a golden sticker are 'refurbished' guitars sold by MIRC(Musical Instrument Reclamation Center) 1. In most cases**, the first two numbers of the serial number are the year of manufacture. The serial numbers for guitars began with “G0” (G zero) and basses began with “B0” (B zero). EE04091253. Enter Serial Number eg. 08=2008) 3. 1979 models: VLP Spirit: six digit ser.nos. This guitar was built in 1981 – 80351045 – remember in the format that the year is the 1st and 5th 2. The PPP represents the factory the guitar was made in and the number of production So, for example, let’s take the serial number 80351045. This guitar was built on th… Enter a Serial Number here to search for a guitar. Original warranty void 4. 0xxx7xxx for 2007. Sometimes the word "2nd" is stamped on back of headstock 5. The serial number of an acoustic is located on the label inside the sound hole of the guitar. Furthermore, I have to remind y… Despite being static and given figures, the serial numbers are not always correct when it comes to dating a guitar. Since we know these instruments were manufactured from 1984 through 2007 in these two countries, it is safe to assume that a serial number beginning with 81XXXXXX was not produced in 1981. 1. Please note that most of this information relates to serial numbers used from 1975 to present. For the year 1994, ONLY the model prefix and last serial number for each model produced is available. Acoustic Serial Numbers. Enter your serial number and we'll look up the date of manufacture using our lightning fast engine. There's a good explanation for this. You should be Serial dating is easiest for instruments made in the USA or Mexico, but is also possible for those made in Japan, Korea, China, and Indonesia. After World War II, some guitars had a serial number embossed on the head, but reliable numbers didn't really appear until the advent of the first labels, around 1949. MIRC specs can often be different from stock specs Electrics | Archtops | Acoustics | Basses | Bluegrass | Amplifiers | Promotional Guitars However, it is still an accepted fact that using serial numbers and combining them with the dates that are found on the guitar is the best way you can identify the original manufacturing dates. 1. The Martin serial number sequence starts at 8348 which is how many guitars the firm had estimated it had produced from its inception to when they started the serial sequence at the end of the 19th century. That letter indicates the decade. Ever wonder exactly when your favorite guitar was made? Test it out next time you are checking out a friend's guitar and collection share the knowledge! Korean Made. The YY represent the year the guitar was made 2. 1994-2002 Mandolins are … F = manufactured by FujiGen Gakki in Nagano 2. When a guitar is produced commercially, the serial numbers that are used on the guitar can go overlapping. The first step is to find the serial number—a combination of letters and/or numbers— and the "Made in..." label (Japan, Taiwan, or Indonesia) on the guitar. Step #2 Match your serial number with the correct date. Understanding how to read Gibson serial numbers is a little confusing at first, but it doesn’t take long to identify when your guitar was made. The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formats from 25 factories. Questions? well-known brands. Most guitar manufacturers put a serial number on each instrument they produce. From 2014 onwards Gibson changed the serial number format to a simplified nine digit number which can still be used to find the year of … Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are supported. Serial Number Chart for Acoustic and Classical Guitars In the following charts, you can determine the year of manufacture for a Yamaha acoustic or classical guitar. Gibson Serial Numbers 1975-Present This section is designed to assist in dating and/or identifying instruments manufactured or distributed by Gibson Guitar Corp. Serial numbersfrom 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. Has 'Crafted In Japan' Printed on Headstock. 1965-1969 From 1965 to 1969 (inclusive), Guild used a separate serial numbering system for each guitar model. For 1995 and 1996, Guild returned to the system which used a separate serial number prefix for each guitar model, and also the first and last serial number produced for each model in each given year. Guild Guitar Serial # lookup : 10% complete It should be noted that many manufactures don't have complete records themselves so any progress given here are based on what we know we still have to complete for a given manufacturer and may still be missing serial numbers after '100% complete'. ##### = consecutive production number for the yearIt's unclear whether this numbering convention is rigidly enforced, that is, each month actually starts out with the number prescribed above, or if this is just a way to estimate the production month. 1976 Serial numbers 259996-260020 were also used. Western companies have outsourced their production. The number is above 230095 so it was built after 1967 but it’s less than 241925 so it was built before the end of 1968 – so it was built in 1968. Need to look up a serial number? On some acoustic guitars, the serial number is on the inside of the sound hole. For example, the serial number for the first guitar built in the El Cajon (USA) factory on July 6, 2014 is 1107064001. With the help of the serial number decoder, tables and instructions are the year and locationof the largest At the top of the neck plate, on the front or at the back of the headstock or on the cover plate of the vibrato (Stratocasters), or at the end of the heel of the neck. You sort of remember when you got it, but you want to really know its history, especially if you're not the first owner. In the beginning, Gretsch simply wrote serial numbers inside the guitar in pencil. Enter Serial Number eg. Select all options that best discribe your guitar. All of our guitars have a serial number on the back of the headstock (or the neck plate on older guitars). The prefix ‘S’ at the beginning of a serial number stands for the decade of the seventies. The U.S. Vintage Series (launched in 1982) uses ‘V’ as a prefix for the serial number. Well, good news it's very easy to figure out the age of Fender and Gibson instruments from the last 30 years. 81232560. Finally, in 1977 a much more logical serial number system was introduced. If, for example, you have a Gibson Explorer that was made from 1958 to 1959, you have one of the few models produced in that period. Currently, we are working on getting our guitar dater lookup and search tool fleshed out. Z512345. There you have it! 10-Digit Serial Numbers . The second character will usually be a number. Serial number coding for Mexican-made instruments is largely the same, except they will start with an M. Gibson serial numbers are even more interesting, because you can find out the specific date that your instrument was completed! VANTAGE serial numbers (electric guitars/basses) 1978?/79: V-100 model: “V-100”-sticker, no serial. Example of a Gibson serial number:A real serial number is stamped dark on the back of theheadstock. This number can be used to date a guitar and in some cases tell where it was made. Registration list is limited to USA made Ovation guitars only. The serial number for each year shows the serial number of the last guitar that was built in that year. Looking for Gibson Guitars? Manufacturers sometimes want to change their serial number format, especially in Asian countries to which many For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. Start here if your serial number starts with only numbers, no letters. Here's a brief rundown of how to do it, plus resources for more information. Japanese Made. Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are supported. 81XXXXXX.) Again, this is due to their modular production. If you have letters in your serial number, skip to Chart number 3. So, if your serial number is 240121 for example then your Martin guitar was built in 1968. There is no way to tell the year or the month it was made in the MIRC serial 2. Serial numbers tend to be stamped or written somewhere on the headstock or neck joint of the guitar. This is an 8 digit system and follows the format YDDDYPPP. However, in rare instances there are guitars which began with “B0” and basses which began with “G0” on neck plates as the factory may have run out of the appropriate plates. Serial numbers can be useful in determining the year of manufacture of a guitar or amp. The prefix ‘E’ stands for the decade of the eighties. American Made. The DDD is the day of the year that the guitar was made 3. First, narrow it down by the country of origin. Original serial numbers are usually defaced 3. 8xxx6xxx for 1986. Chart Number 1 – Numbers only no spaces. But due to incomplete registrations and illogical serial numbers, its history is often unclear. This chart details the year, model and beginning/ending serial numbers for each instrument during that period. … With the help of the serial number decoder, tables and instructions are the year and … These pencilled-in numbers often fade and become illegible, or even disappear. Example: 7 5123 is … Gibson. The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats. You can look up the 1994 page, and locate your model number. A serial number ending in 501 could be the first instrument made at factory #5 that day, or it could be the 501. RRR (R) indicates the guitar's place production for that year. From 1977 to 2013 Gibson have used an eight or nine digit serial number on all of their guitars that can be easily decoded to show the exact day that the guitar was manufactured along with the location of the Gibson factory. For example, if your guitar’s serial number is 94000000, your guitar was made in 1994. A fake serial number is usually in white. Getting started - Guitar Dater, Decoder and Serial Number Search Lookup Tool . Click HERE. Email us at info@bourgeoisguitars.net. But due to incomplete registrations and illogical serial numbers, its history is often unclear. The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this time period. Serial numbers can be useful in determining the year of manufacture of a guitar or amp. There are some exceptions. Guitar Dater Search » YY = last two digits of year (e.g. 1. All acoustic serial numbers begin with the … Where to find the serial number. 82176xxx for the 217 th day of the year of 1986 (August 5, 1986) 00027xxx for the 2 nd day of the year of 2007 (January 2, 2007) The remaining characters (RRR) can indicate the order of instruments created that day, as well as which factory the instrument was made in. Serial numbers from 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. That number indicates the specific year. Our current 10-digit serial numbering format that started in November of 2009 identifies where the guitar was built, the start date, and the assigned number of the guitar on that day's production schedule. * 1991 C. F. Martin & Co. begins using one set of serial numbers for guitars & mandolins. The serial number can be found in the sound hole of the acoustic or on the back of the headstock on electrics. Date a Gibson guitar by serial number. For US instruments, the serial number will start with a letter. Mexican Made. Washburn Guitars has a storied history that started in Chicago in 1883. Required information is your screen name or nickname, guitar model name, model number and serial number. Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Memphis 05xxxx Each type of Washburn guitar has a model number, which is used to identify the guitar on websites and in catalogs. The serial numbers have been placed on or in the guitar in different places over the years.