Decoder / Brand
Kay serial numbers
Many Kay guitars were sold under other names. Dating relies on model, hardware and catalogue evidence. A serial is evidence, not proof.
Letters, digits and hyphens. Spaces and dots are ignored.
Brand
Your number, read character by character
Each character of your number appears here.
Entries
Ranked by confidence. Select a row for its rule.Type a serial number, or press an example. Nothing leaves your device.
Where to look
- Inside the body, on the neck block or a paper label
- Back of the headstock
The formats, in order
Each row is one rule the decoder applies. Where two rows overlap in years, a number can match both, and the decoder shows both.
| Years | Format | How sure | Usually found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kay stamped numbers Stamped numbers exist but follow no published date code. | Cannot tell | Inside the body, on the neck block or on a label. |
Traps
- Kay stamped numbers. Kay made instruments for many brands and kept no public serial table.
Features that help date it
- Gold K logo on the headstock (1950 to 1965). A decal logo with a prominent K.
Where the rules come from
- Author knowledge of published collector consensus; not independently verified online
Rules are rewritten as logic, not copied tables. See About for known gaps.
Other brands
Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Rickenbacker, Harmony, Silvertone and Danelectro, Other makers.