Maison Guitar Serial Numbers
1947 to 1961. Once the serial numbers hit 99999, Gibson decided to change to a new system, rather than go into 6 digits. The new system used a letter to prefix the numbers. The first guitar in this new system was A 100 which was in April of 1947.
If the serial number of your Kramer starts with the following serialnumbers, it is NOT a USA Made or 'American' series Kramer:1) Two letters followed by a serial number (e.g. AA1234, AC1234, FA1234,FC1234, SA1234)2) One letter followed by five letters (e.g. B12345) The only exception tothis would be some of the 'E' series neckplates did have one letter followed byfive letters (e.g. E12345).3) Five numbers, no letters (e.g. 12345)4) Model numbers preceding serial number (e.g. XL-1234)5) A chrome or black neck plate with nothing on it but a Kramer headstockand a serial number stamped on them.
These neck plates are smooth flat neckplates with no 'Neptune, N.J.' Stamped on themKeep in mind that just because the neckplate is imprinted with 'Kramer,Neptune, NJ' does NOT mean that the guitar was Made in the USA or an 'American'series. Kramer was very careful to not stamp 'Made In USA' anywhere on itsneckplates starting in about 1985/1986.Starting in late 1985, virtually all Kramer guitars were being madeby ESP Guitars in Japan. Although the 'American' Series guitars were made byESP in Japan, they were assembled in the US.
Examples of Ibanez serial numbers on back of headstockIbanez serial numbers are unique identifiers placed on instruments sold under the brand. Ibanez guitars have used serial numbers since the mid 1970s. Some sources say the practice started in September 1975, but serial numbers indicating production as early as October 1974 have been spotted.The serial numbers are generally a character string containing letters and numbers, although some are purely numeric. Serial numbers can be useful in determining the age of a guitar as well as in which country and by which builder it was produced.Unfortunately, there is no single unified format used for Ibanez serial numbers. Guitar production is outsourced to several companies and facilities through the world and the numbering schemes are different in each region and/or factory. The information on this page is culled from several sources both on-line and off-line and represents a distillation of the available information. Contents Serial numbers by country of origin Japan November 2004– present, FujiGen, 'F' + 7 digits Eight charactersFYY#####single letter ( F)2-digit number5-digit numberExample: (May 2014).
F = manufactured by in Nagano. YY = last two digits of year (e.g. 08=2008). ##### = consecutive production number for the yearNumber also indicates month of manufacture, with the sequence incrementing to the next multiple of 3,000 each month, as follows:. 9 = November. 9 = December.
9 = January. 9 = February. 9 = March. 9 = April.
9 = May. 9 = June. 9 = July. 9 = August. 9 = September. 33000 and up = OctoberIt's unclear whether this numbering convention is rigidly enforced, that is, each month actually starts out with the number prescribed above, or if this is just a way to estimate the production month. What is known is that this rubric is used by Ibanez to set the production date for warranty claims.Note: as of November 2004, the serial number represents not necessarily the year the instrument was produced but rather the model year to which the instrument belongs.
It has long been Ibanez's practice to begin production for the subsequent model year in November (or even late October), but the serial numbering change that was implemented in November 2004 acknowledged and formalized this practice.1997–October 2004, FujiGen, 'F' + 7 digits Eight charactersFYY#####single letter ( F)2-digit number5-digit numberExample: (March 1999). F = manufactured by in Nagano. YY = last two digits of year (e.g. 08=2008). ##### = consecutive production number for the yearNumber also indicates month of manufacture, with the sequence incrementing to the next multiple of 5,000 each month, as follows:. 0 = January. 0 = February.
0 = March. 0 = April. 0 = May. 0 = June. 0 = July.
0 = August. 0 = September. 0 = October.
0 = November. 0 = DecemberIt's unclear whether this numbering convention is rigidly enforced, that is, each month actually starts out with the number prescribed above, or if this is just a way to estimate the production month.
What is known is that this rubric is used by Ibanez to set the production date for warranty claims.2005– present, Sugi, 'A-L' + 5 digits Six charactersMYY###single letter ( A–L)2-digit number1-digit number2-digit numberExample:. M = letter indicating month of manufacture: A=January.L=December. YY = last two digits of year (e.g.
07=2009). # = indicates the model (2=, 5=, others are unclear/unknown).
## = consecutive production number for the monthNote that there is opportunity for confusion with some of the other schemes listed here with regards to the initial letters F and I, however, this format is the only one which has just six characters. It is believed that all Japanese-made models with this serial number format are produced bySugi produces only a handful of high-end models for Ibanez. These include a few special models and some.These serial numbers are either hand-printed on the back of the headstock (often in Sterling silver or gold ink or paint) or stamped on the fretboard beyond the last fret or sometimes both.2016– present, 'IG' + 6 digits Eight charactersIGYYMM##'IG'2-digit number2-digit number2-digit numberExample: IG161102.
IG = indicates production at the. YY = last two digits of year (e.g.
16=2016). MM = two digits indicating month of manufacture. ## = consecutive production number for the monthThese serial numbers are hand-lettered on the back of the headstock.1998– present, Terada; 'T' + 6 digits Seven charactersTYY####single letter ( T)2-digit number4-digit numberExample:.
T = manufactured by Terada Musical Instrument Co., Ltd. Near Nagano. YY = last two digits of year (e.g.
Guitar Serial Number
01=2001). #### = consecutive production number for the year1987–1996; Letter (e.g. 'F, H, I or T') + 6 digits Seven charactersF, H, I, or TY#####single letter ( F, H, I, or T)single number5-digit numberExample: (January 1992). First character is the factory code:. F = manufactured by in Nagano (1987–1996). H or T = manufactured by Terada Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.