In 1969, a second purchase occurred. As they already owned Gibson, this merge brought the two powerful brand names under one umbrella. I assume you didn't bother to read it. This letter represents in which country the guitar comes from, as well as the company who manufactured it. For an iPhone, click Phone Number under your device name or the device model to find the IMEI/MEID and ICCID. This guide, republished courtesy of Gibson.com, provides information from … The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this time period. We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites. They range from 001 in 1935, to 9999 in 1945. After Epiphone and Gibson merged under the same umbrella, Gibson started following their lead and placing serial numbers on their guitars. You will need this to discover your model type. Epiphone stamps a serial number on each guitar, which after decryption can tell you where and when it was built. Then, in 1969, they changed things up and used the sequence 600000 to 606090 to denote the more expensive, high-end guitars. In 1957, the Chicago Musical Instrument Company (CMI) acquired Epiphone. In 1961, all of the guitars produced that were not part of the A-Series by both Gibson and Epiphone followed the same serial number series. Today, it’s simple to use the serial number on your Gibson to date your guitar. They grew in popularity and by the 1950’s, became Gibson’s main rival. You’ll find them die stamped on the top rear of the peghead, and they are a sequence of between three and five numbers. Cheers. Only clue so far is the bottom of the bridge with a 1993 date. It consists of a number of digits, often also in advance of one or two letters. Thanks. Required fields are marked *. The sixth number in the modern sequence will tell you the batch, and the last three indicate the rolling production number. Enter Serial Number eg. Breaking it down, this serial number would mean the guitar was made in FujiGen, Japan in August of 2005, and it was the 384th guitar made in that model. RRRR= Ranking number (may be more or less digits) Example: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit … Notably, from 1966 to 1968, they made an adjustment to differentiate between the low and high-end models. With Semi-Hollow models on the label inside the top f-hole and with acoustic guitars on the label inside the sound hole. by Cynthia Swearingen | Sep 17, 2019 | Blog | 0 comments. The serial number will generally be nine to 10 digits long, with the first being a letter. For an iPad (cellular model), click Serial Number to find the CDN, IMEI/MEID, and ICCID. How do I tell the year of an Epiphone Les Paul SJ serial number 07038305? Particularly with older models, the serial number may not be enough to trace the guitar’s origins. epiphone les-paul. EE04091253. Most significantly, Epi died, and his widow gave up her shares which opened the door to a financial restructuring of the company. Beginning with 60000 in 1951, and ending with the last known New-York made model, the Epi Zephyr, number 69637. If you have a vintage Epiphone or Gibson guitar, you could be sitting on a gold mine. F-Serial used on LP Std'59/'60 models and Tribute/Plus models. If the guitar was made in Japan, the letters printed to represent it are either a "F" for FujiGen or a "J" or "T," which stand for Terada. That information is extremely helpful if you’re trying to determine its value or if you’re looking to sell your instrument. Write the number down. In 1960, the first number was 0. A Japanese-made Epiphone can also have no letter, in which case the serial number would just start with numbers. Simply, if the first two numbers are "08," the guitar was made in the year 2008. This serial number guide will help you to figure it all out. Unfortunately, prior to the system instituted in 1977, the process is anything but simple to decipher. Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are supported. FYYMMRRRR F= Factory code (this can be 2 letters as well) YY= year of manufacture (this can also be just 1 digit for '90s models) MM= month of manufacture If you can’t make it to an antique shop with a certified professional who can date your guitar, you can still determine its age by using the Epiphone serial number. Medioimages/Photodisc/Valueline/Getty Images, How to Date a Piece of Homer Laughlin China, How to Identify the Model of a Takamine Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. From 1958 to 1961, Gibson branded guitars used a different numbering series than Epiphone. Anthony King is a freelance writer and amateur filmmaker. On these models, you’ll locate the impressed serial number on the back side of the top of the peghead. In fact, at Gibson’s customer service line, they report that at least a quarter of the calls they receive daily are from people trying to date their guitar. There are many variations of serial numbers, and it can sometimes be difficult to decipher the code. In the first two years, 1932 and 1933, Epiphone die-stamped the serial number on the inside of the back of their instruments. You know it’s a Gibson if there is the letter “A” preceding the serial number found on the label of a hollow body model. As opposed to a brand such as Fender, whose guitars are either made in America or Mexico, Epiphone's guitars can come from a number of different factories in a variety of countries. Epiphone stamps each guitar with a serial number, however, which when deciphered can tell a guitarist all he needs to know about the guitar. If not, they, like the rest of us, refer to Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars to try to begin the process. To find the i.d. Use the "keys" and factory letter/number identifiers below -- note that for guitars made prior to 1993, the serial # assigned does not reveal the date or factory where made -- or you can, Putting all of the information together, an example of a Epiphone serial number could be F0508384. Maybe you have a Gibson banjo, dobro, or a Goldtone amplifier you’re not sure about. This serial number system doesn't exactly tell the year - and doesn't tell the month at all. To understand the significance of the Epiphone serial number, we first need to look at how their company history intertwines with that of Gibson. Beginning in 1934, they moved the placement directly onto the label itself. The front of the headstock has "Epiphone by Gibson" at the top and the Epiphone logo at the bottom. This, in turn, affected the numbering scheme. Locate the serial number on the headstock of the guitar. I looked up my Gibson Les Paul Epiphone number 198050195 but it wasn't recognized. We know that from 1944 to 1950, the manufacturer introduced a two-digit prefix in front of the actual three-digit production number of all of its electric models. If these two numbers are "05," they denote that the guitar was made in the month of May. If it was manufactured after 1977, the build date is included in the sequence. Is anyone able to date my Epiphone Sheraton? In this guide, we’ll give you the basics on how the numbers work and resources to help you determine the age and origin of your guitar. They share the four distinct formats, as well as a full list of factory later and number codes, and special designations found on the Les Paul models. During each of these transitions, there were also changes made to how the instruments were labeled, which is part of the reason why the serial number identification process is so confusing. For example, after 1969, it’s unlikely your guitar would have a label saying it was made overseas, but you might have a seven-digit serial number that could tell that story. The new serials began at 50,000 in 1944 and ended at 59,999 in 1950. Beginning with A1000 in 1958, this series goes to A4999 in 1961. The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formatsfrom 25 factories. Locate the serial number on the back of the guitar's headstock (the top of the neck where the strings are attached). 9 years ago. The first and fifth number signifies the year it was built, and the second, third, and fourth are the day of the year. Register your product to activate your Gibson warranty. They also removed text that read “Made in the USA” during this years because some of the components were created overseas. He is currently working toward graduating with a B.A. How To Use Epiphone Serial Numbers To Date Your Guitar. Epiphone is one of the widely known guitar manufacturers. Serial numbers from 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. Epiphone. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. If, for example, you have a Gibson Explorer that was made from 1958 to 1959, you have one of the few models produced in that period. During this time period, they ink stamped the digits on the back of the peghead and used the last number of the year as the first number in the serial sequence on their solid body models. The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formats from 25 factories. RR = ranking number Epiphone Most regular production models since ca. In the Gibson forums, their support staff has broken down all of the possibilities for you and tried to help make sense of it.