Guitar serial number lookup
Paste a serial and see which brand formats it fits, with the rule and source for each. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent.
Independent of any guitar maker. Every rule links to its published source: see method and sources or About this site.
- Characters
- Formats matched
Format ids
This serial fits these formats. Every match is shown; none is picked for you.
Open a decoder to see the date and why it fits. Fitting a format is not proof that the guitar is that brand or that age.
Not in our sourced formats. This does not mean the serial is wrong. It means none of the formats we can source fits it.
Method: each rule is the same code the brand decoder uses. Sources are listed on each decoder page (see Method and sources).
Pick by brand
- Epiphone11-digit serials from 2008 on. Year, month, factory code and sequence number.
- Gibson8-digit serials stamped from 1977 on. Year, month, day and rank, read the way Gibson's own serial page describes.
- MartinSequential serials. Year from Martin's published chart, with the first and last serial of that year.
Why one serial can fit several years or formats
Different brands reuse the same lengths: an 8-digit number can be a Gibson date code or a Martin serial, and some makers stamp only the last digit of the year, so one digit points to a year in every decade. This page therefore lists every format that fits instead of choosing one for you, and each brand decoder says when a number could belong to another format.
Depending on the scheme, a matching serial pattern can indicate a production date, a year or a model year. It does not give a sale date, and a matching serial does not prove a guitar is genuine.
How this works, and the sources
- You type the serial. Spaces and dashes are removed and letters are made upper case.
- It is checked against each sourced format. Each rule is the same code the brand decoder uses, and each links to its source.
- You see every match. The decoding runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.
What the labels mean
One possible year: the digits fit and the rule allows only one year. Several possible years: the digits fit more than one year, so the decoder lists each. Manufacturer source or community source: who published the rule. A format match shows only that the number follows a published pattern. It does not authenticate the guitar or the serial.
Brands without a decoder here
The decoders above are the only formats this site decodes. For other brands, read the guides: Fender, PRS and Gretsch.
Official tools
Makers publish their own lookups, which are the primary references for a serial. If a format or record is unclear, contact the maker. Gibson has its serial number search (opens in a new tab). Martin has a serial number chart (opens in a new tab). Fender also has support pages at fender.com (opens in a new tab).
Guides
- Where is the serial number on a guitar?Where to look for the serial on solidbody, hollow, acoustic and bass guitars, with the usual Fender, Gibson and Martin locations.
- How to tell if a Gibson is fakeA serial number is the first check, not the last. Date-consistency tests, seven physical checks with named sources, and what to do when you need a second opinion.
- How to read a serialThe four ways makers encode a build date in a serial, with worked examples for three, and why the honest answer is sometimes a range.