Washburn Guitar Serial Number Database
Stephanie Dejoode
The first two digits of the serial number are the year the instrument was completed. The code letter(s) tells you the model (see table below). The next group of numbers will be from two to five digits and is the sequential production number of the instrument. Thus 94H8692 is an Elan bass completed in 1994 and is the 8692nd instrument made.
Alembic serial numbers are sequential across all models starting with number "1" in 1972, so a serial number tells you where your bass falls amongst all basses they ever made. Any "A" or "B" after a serial is on the rare occasion of a duplicate serial number.
On newer Alembics you'll find the serial number stamped on the truss rod cover and in the electronics cavity. On Epic and Orion models stamped on the back of the peghead and in the electronics cavity. On older instruments stamped directly on the ebony fingerboard below the 24th fret, and on the oldest instruments stamped on the top of the peghead.
Early models will be signed by Steve Henderson. Later ones signed by Kim Breedlove (possibly Jayson Bowerman). Serial appears on sticker inside sound hole. Since year cannot be derived exactly from later serials, you may want to contact the company at in...@tohguitars.com. All models below are made in Oregon, USA, unless otherwise indicated below. For some years, I have provided more than one serial number separated by a semi-colon.
You can find serial numbers on vintage Danelectro/Silvertone instruments all over the instrument, including back of headstock, neck heel, neck pocket, control cavity and other places. In doing research on this brand I found the definitive website for Danelectro/Silvertone info at www.danelectro.guru. The site is run by Doug Tulloch and he even sells a Danelectro Guitar Guide for you hardcore fans.
Briefly, for a pre-1967 3-digit serial number the first two digits are the week, while the last digit tells the year, such that serial number 210 indicates a 1960 model made in the 21st week of the year. After 1967, it's reversed, so the the first digit represents the year. On 4-digit serials, you ignore the 3rd digit, while the fourth digit tells the year. So 1204 represents a 1964 guitar made in the 12th week of the year. 5-digit serials are the same, you just disregard the fifth digit.
Every Dean guitar made in United States comes with a seven digit serial number that is printed on the back of the headstock (some 90s models may be stamped on the fretboard). First two numbers in the sequence are the last two digits of the production year. If you see a seven digit serial number on the back of a Dean guitar, you can be sure that it was produced in United States.
Dean's more affordable line made outside the US may require looking at features and hardware and some knowledge of the line. Though I can't verify the accuracy, it was posted in the Dean online forums that imports after 2008 follow a pattern with the initial letter or letters identifying the factory, such that: US = Un Sung Korea, Y = Yoojin China, E = World Korea.The following two digits indicate year, then two-digit month, then production number. An example given was the serial US12040364 (don't let the "US" make you think it's a USA model). Here the serial is decoded as:
Acoustics 1932 to 1944
Look through the F hole inside the instrument for the number. Serials begin in 1932 with 5000 and end at 20142 during this period. Other investigation of the model will need to be used to pinpoint more exact year.
Many newer EB instruments (approximately 1998 forward) have the serial number imprinted into the metal of the neck plate. If not, look at the bridge. Early 90s instruments usually had the serial number imprinted on the bridge plate in front of the saddles, or on some nearer to the rear of the plate behind the saddles.
The EB database claims it only covers guitars and basses from the 90s onward. However, I did find it worked with some late '80s serials. (if your serial begins with a "B," try entering just the number portion. it may find it.) But older instruments from the 70s and early 80s will not be covered there. For those instruments, almost all should have a date stamped in the neck pocket and also on the neck heel. (Note, the two dates can differ, at which point you may want to check the CTS pots for a date code.)
The website has a multitude of pages grouped by model and gives samples of early serials which may help you place yours. Music Man was acquired by Ernie Ball in 1984 and the site notes some early Ernie Ball instruments used Music Man bridges, which have serials that begin with a letter "B." It's a confusing crossover period because EB introduced their own serial system around 1986 with five digits starting with "25" (e.g., "25000"). They also introduced a series of "B" prefixed six-digit serials (e.g., "B027xxx"), which are not to be confused with the earlier Music Man "B" serials. Yikes!
Those early EB serials ("B027xxx") may possibly be found in the EB online database if you omit the initial "B." It seemed to find some from 1987 onwards, but it's hit and miss. As always, looking at the neck pocket should clear things up if you can't find a serial or if the serial proves confusing. You can also contact the guys at EB at musicman_cus...@ernieball.com
It seems early Sterling instruments may be covered in the EB database. If the serial is F+5 digits, most seem to work. I found one as late as 2013 that came up in the database. It's worth trying. Those that start with other letters, such as "B" and are follow by 6 digits are not going to show up in the database. None of the "Sub" instrument serials will work there.
If you can't find the date of your Sterling instrument you can try to email the company here: in...@sterlingbymusicman.com. Some people in forums said they helped them. Also, the www.musicmanbass.global website gives some sample serials of Sterling as well as SUB 4 instruments.
If your Fender is newer (probably 90s or later), try going to Fender's Serial Number Lookup page. (Note: vintage instruments are not covered there.) If your serial is found, it will tell you the official model name, number, and date of production. (See our Fender Serial Number Lookup model abbreviation list to decode what Fender's abbreviations mean.) You may be able to click on the model number to obtain full product specs as well. If your serial is NOT found there, don't despair. Fender is far from able to find all its previous serial numbers, and it may just take some research. Start down below, and if you're still stumped, consider looking at pot codes to give you a general idea of production era. You can also contact Fender support for help. If you're looking for Squier serial numbers, a great place to start is the Squier Wiki page (www.squierwiki.com).
Fender is notorious for being a little tricky. This is partially due to their production methods, which often involved using parts throughout different models and years, so that tracing the year of one part may not accurately indicate the production year of the instrument. If you're not averse to removing the neck on a guitar, Fender often wrote a date on the heel of the neck, as well as a date in the neck pocket. This method can often clear up a situation where the serial number is inconclusive. So, somewhat chronologically:
G&L serials can be challenging. Perhaps the best way to date your G&L is to take the neck off. Many instruments have two dates--one on the body in the neck pocket and one on the neck heel. The one on the neck is supposedly a good ballpark of the guitar's manufacture date, but many necks were dated when produced and then stockpiled for later use. Similarly, bodies may have been stamped prior to final finishing process and then sat for a while. Some instruments got only neck dates.
You can also try to get a rough estimate of the year using its serial number. The problem here is that G&L serial numbering at the factory was not exact. The guitarsbyleo.com enthusiast website states bridges or neck plates containing serial numbers were often in a bin and picked randomly for a newly created guitar. While pulling the neck may be the most reliable method to date your G&L, you can read on to find out how G&L serials progressed through the years.
Unfortunately, sequential serial info such as above is not available for 1993 through 1996. Your best bet is to consult the G&L registry here: _id=1It has info on more than twenty-seven-thousand real world instruments submitted by owners and includes serial number, model, neck date, body date, color and other information. Using a little detective work will help narrow down instruments from this era. You can search a serial number range, or you can search a single year of serials.
Of course you can also remove your neck and check the neck and body dates, as detailed above. Also, checking pot codes may help to solidify other dating information. See our pot code blog post here: -kickin-blog/pot-codes-can-help-date-your-guitar
Since we don't have sequential serial number information for these years, again, using the serial number registry or removing the neck to check dates are the two options available to narrow down the date of your instrument.
In 1977, Gibson began a steady and (mostly) reliable numbering scheme, in which, the first and fifth digits of the serial indicate the last two digits of the production year. For example, 92229222, means production year 1999. In 2014, Gibson changed it so the FIRST TWO digits of the serial number indicate the last two digits of the year. However, I see them going back and forth between the two schemes now.
Robert Godin has been making great bang-for-buck guitars in Canada since 1987. Note, there is some misinformation on Godin serials online so be careful. Through comparison of used instruments, I managed to put together some basic parameters of the serial history.
The Guild company has an amazing amount of serial number info, mostly because for many years of production they used a different serial scheme for each of their different models. Below we outline a simple way to narrow down the date range of an acoustic Guild. If you need to go further and more exactly pinpoint the year, go to the following page on the Guild website and scroll through the pages of data: -content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf.
The easy way to narrow down the period your Guild acoustic was produced is by the label, which is located inside the soundhole and should have both the model and serial number. From 1953 to 1959 Guild used a label that showed a white guitar body on a black background. From 1959 to 1960, the label is known as the "ghost label" due to its image of a ghost-like character wearing a bowtie and playing a guitar. From 1961 to 1972, the "Oval G-Shield" label is oval, tan colored and says "Guarantee" in large letters. Likewise, from 1972 to 2001, the label is oval shaped, but has "Guild" printed in large script lettering at the top. It may also say "Guarantee" up till 1974, but the large "Guild" clearly separates it from the Oval G-Shield label.