Date Your Guitar: Fender
Fender Serial Numbers
Serial # / Circa / Comment
* Up to 6,000 / 1950-54
* Up to 10,000 / 1954-56 / 4 or 5 digits (inc 0 or – prefix)
* 10,000s / 1955-56 / 4 or 5 digits (inc 0 or – prefix)
* 10,000s to 20,000s / 1957 / 5 or 6 digits (inc 0 or – prefix)
* 20,000s to 30,000s / 1958 / 5 or 6 digits (inc 0 or – prefix)
* 30,000s to 40,000s / 1959
* 40,000s to 50,000s / 1960
* 50,000s to 70,000s / 1961
* 60,000s to 90,000s / 1962
* 80,000s to 90,000s / 1963
* Up to L10,000 / 1963 / L + 5 digits
* L10,000s to L20,000s / 1963 / L + 5 digits
* L20,000s to L50,000s / / 1964 / L + 5 digits
* L50,000s to L90,000s / / 1965 / L + 5 digits
* 100,000s / 1965
* 100,000s to 200,000s / 1966-67
* 200,000s / 1968
* 200,000s to 300,000s / 1969-70
* 300,000s / 1971-72
* 300,000s to 500,000s / 1973
* 400,000s to 500,000s / 1974-75
* 500,000s to 700,000s / 1976
* 76 or S6 + 5 digits / 1976
* S7 or S8 + 5 digits / 1977
* S7, S8 or S9 + 5 digits / 1978
* S9 or E0 + 5 digits / 1979
* S9, E0 or E1 + 5 digits / 1980-81
* E1, E2 or E3 + 5 digits / 1982
* E2 or E3 + 5 digits / 1983
* E3 or E4 + 5 digits / 1984
* E4 + 5 digits / 1987
* E4 or E8 + 5 digits / 1988
* E4 or E8 + 5 digits / 1989-
* E8 or N9 + 5 digits / 1990-
* N0 + 5 digits / 1990-
* N1 +5/6 digits / 1991-
* N2 + 5/6 digits / 1992-
Gibson Serial Numbers
1902-1947 (Series starts with 1000)
* Year / Approximate Last #
* 1903 / 1500
* 1904 / 2500
* 1905 / 3500
* 1906 / 5500
* 1907 / 8300
* 1908 / 9700
* 1909 / 10100
* 1910 / 10600
* 1911 / 10850
* 1912 / 13350
* 1913 / 16100
* 1914 / 20150
* 1915 / 25150
* 1916 / 32000
* 1917 / 39500
* 1918 / 47900
* 1919 / 53800
* 1920 / 63650
* 1921 / 69300
* 1922 / 71400
* 1923 / 74900
* 1924 / 81200
* 1925 / 82700
* 1926 / 83600
* 1927 / 85400
* 1928 / 87300
* 1929 / 89750
* 1930 / 90200
* 1931 / 90450
* 1932 / 90700
* 1933 / 91400
* 1934 / 92300
* 1935 / 92800
* 1936 / 94100
* 1937 / 95200
* 1938 / 95750
* 1939 / 96050
* 1940 / 96600
* 1941 / 97400
* 1942 / 97700
* 1943 / 97850
* 1944 / 98250
* 1945 / 98650
* 1946 / 99300
* 1947 / 99999
A-Series 1947-61
* Year / Approximate Last #
* 1947 / A1304
* 1948 / A2665
* 1949 / A4413
* 1950 / A6597
* 1951 / A9419
* 1952 / A12462
* 1953 / A16101
* 1954 / A18667
* 1955 / A21909
* 1956 / A24755
* 1957 / A26819
* 1958 / A28880
* 1959 / A32284
* 1960 / A35645
* 1961 / A36147
Epiphone A-Series, 1958-61
* Year / Approximate Range
* 1958 / A1000s
* 1959 / A2000s
* 1960-61 / A3000-A4222
Serial Numbers 1961-69
* Year / Number Range
* 1961 / 100-42440
* 1962 / 42441-61180
* 1963 / 61450-64222
* 1964 / 64240-70501
* 1962 / 71180-96600
* 1963 / 96601-99999
* 1967 / 000001-099999
* 1963, / 67 / 100000-106099
* 1963 / 106100-106899
* 1963, / 67 / 109000-1099999
* 1963 / 110000-111549
* 1963, / 67 / 111550-115799
* 1963 / 115800-118299
* 1963, / 67 / 118300-120999
* 1963 / 121000-139999
* 1963, / 67 / 140000-140100
* 1963 / 140101-144304
* 1964 / 144305-144380
* 1963 / 144381-149864
* 1964 / 149865-149891
* 1963 / 149892-152989
* 1964 / 152990-174222
* 1964, / 65 / 174223-176643
* 1964 / 176644-250335
* 1965 / 250336-305983
* 1965, / 67 / 306000-310999
* 1965 / 311000-320149
* 1967 / 320150-320699
* 1965 / 320700-329179
* 1965, / 67 / 329180-330199
* 1965, / 67, / 68 / 330200-332240
* 1965 / 332241-348092
* 1966 / 348093-349100
* 1965 / 349121-368638
* 1966 / 368640-369890
* 1967 / 370000-370999
* 1966 / 401000-438922
* 1967 / 390000-390998
* 1965-68 / 400001-400999
* 1966 / 401000-438922
* 1965,66,68,69 / 500000-500999
* 1965 / 501009-501600
* 1968 / 501601-501702
* 1965,68 / 501703-502706
* 1968 / 503010-503109
* 1965, / 68 / 503405-520955
* 1968 / 520956-530056
* 1966, / 68, / 69 / 530061-530850
* 1968, / 69 / 530851-530993
* 1969 / 530994-539999
* 1966, / 69 / 540000-540795
* 1969 / 540796-545009
* 1966 / 555000-556909
* 1969 / 558012-567400
* 1966 / 570099-570755
* 1969 / 580000-580999
* 1966-69 / 600000-600999
* 1969 / 601000-606090
* 1966,67 / 700000-700799
* 1968, / 69 / 750000-750999
* 1966-69 / 800000-800999
* 1966, / 69 / 801000-812838
* 1969 / 812900-819999
* 1966, / 69 / 820000-820087
* 1966 / 820088-823830
* 1969 / 824000-824999
* 1966, / 69 / 828002-847448
* 1966, / 69 / 847499-858999
* 1967 / 859001-895038
* 1968 / 895039-896999
* 1967, / 69 / 897000-898999
* 1968 / 899000-972864
Serial numbers, early to mid 70’s
* Year / Number Range
* 1973 / 000000s
* 1970-75 / 100000s
* 1973-75 / 200000s
* 1974-75 / 300000s
* 1974-75 / 400000s
* 1974-75 / 500000s
* 1970-72 / 600000s
* 1974-75 / 600000s
* 1970-72 / 700000s
* 1973-75 / 800000s
* 1970-72 / 900000s
* 1973-75 / A+6 digits
* 1974-75 / B+6 digits
* 1974-75 / C+6 digits
* 1974-75 / D+6 digits
* 1974-75 / E+6 digits
* 1974-75 / F+6 digits
Serial numbers 1975-77
* Year / Prefix
* 1975 / 99
* 1976 / 00
* 1977 / 06
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* Serial numbers 1977-Current
* 8 digit number: ydddynnn
* yy (1st & 5th digit)=year of manufacture
* dd.(digits 2-4)=day of year
* nnn (digits 6-8)=daily # rank
Some Heritage and Vintage Reissue instruments have the vintage style serial numbers.
Gretsch Serial Numbers
Syncromatic Serial Numbers, 1940-49: 007-900
Number Circa
* 3000s 1949-50
* 4000s-5000s 1951
* 5000s-8000s 1952
* 9000s-12000s 1953
* 12000s-16000s 1954
* 17000s-21000s 1955
* 22000s-26000s 1957
* 27000s-30000s 1958
* 30000s-34000s 1959
* 34000s-39000s 1960
* 39000s-45000s 1961
* 46000s-52000s 1962
* 53000s-63000s 1963
* 63000s-77000s 1964
* 77000s-84000s 1964-early 65
Numbers for years 1965-72
First 1 or 2 digits = month (1-12)
Next digit = last Number of year (1965-72)
Remaining digits = instrument #
Numbers 1973 to 81
1 or 2 digits before the hyphen = month
First digit after the hyphen = last digit of year
Remaining digits = instrument #
Martin Serial Numbers
Year – Last # of Year
* 1898 8343
* 1899 8716
* 1900 9128
* 1901 9310
* 1902 9528
* 1903 9810
* 1904 9988
* 1905 10120
* 1906 10329
* 1907 10727
* 1908 10883
* 1909 11018
* 1910 11203
* 1911 11413
* 1912 11565
* 1913 11821
* 1914 12047
* 1915 12209
* 1916 12390
* 1917 12988
* 1918 13450
* 1919 14512
* 1920 15848
* 1921 16758
* 1922 17839
* 1923 19891
* 1924 22008
* 1925 24116
* 1926 28689
* 1927 34435
* 1928 37568
* 1929 40843
* 1930 45317
* 1931 49589
* 1932 52590
* 1933 55084
* 1934 58679
* 1935 61947
* 1936 65176
* 1937 68865
* 1938 18667
* 1939 74061
* 1940 76734
* 1941 80013
* 1942 83107
* 1943 86724
* 1944 90149
* 1945 93623
* 1946 98158
* 1947 103468
* 1948 108269
* 1949 112961
* 1950 117961
* 1951 122799
* 1952 128436
* 1953 134501
* 1954 141345
* 1955 147328
* 1956 152775
* 1957 159061
* 1958 165576
* 1959 171047
* 1960 175689
* 1961 181297
* 1962 187384
* 1963 193327
* 1964 199626
* 1965 207030
* 1966 217215
* 1967 230095
* 1968 241925
* 1969 256003
* 1970 271633
* 1971 294270
* 1972 313302
* 1973 333873
* 1974 353387
* 1975 371828
* 1976 388800
* 1977 399625
* 1978 407800
* 1979 419900
* 1980 430300
* 1981 436474
* 1982 439627
* 1983 446101
* 1984 453300
* 1985 460575
* 1986 468175
* 1987 476216
* 1988 483952
* 1989 493279
* 1990 503309
* 1991 512487
* 1992 522655
* 1993 535223
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Source Material:
Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars :
An Identification Guide for American Fretted Instruments (2nd Ed)
by George Gruhn, Walter Carter