Decoder / Brand
Other makers serial numbers
Most makers did not keep dependable serial records. Dating relies on the maker, label style and features. 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 a label or the neck block
- Dovetail or inside the pot of a banjo
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukulele serial numbers No dependable serial system. | Cannot tell | Label or neck block. | |
| Banjo serial numbers No dependable serial system. | Cannot tell | Label or neck block. | |
| Mandolin serial numbers No dependable serial system. | Cannot tell | Label or neck block. |
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, Kay, Silvertone and Danelectro.