Epiphone serial number lookup

Reviewed 2026-10-152 primary sourcesSee sources

Gibson, which owns Epiphone, publishes where the year and month sit in an Epiphone serial. Until about 2008 the number starts with one or two factory letters; Gibson doesn’t say which factory each letter means. From about 2008 most serials are all digits.

Covers: Epiphone instruments from about 1993, as documented in Gibson’s serial guide.

Formats Epiphone publishes

The decoder checks your number against each of these. A number can fit more than one era; the decoder then shows every possible reading.

Factory letter(s) + YY + MM + rankabout 1993–2008

Gibson notes the rank digits don’t count units produced.^[1]

Factory letter(s) + one-digit year + MM + rank1990s models

Gibson says some 1990s models use a single year digit.^[1]

Factory letter(s) + YY + month letter + rankabout 1993–2008

In this variant the month is a letter (A = January, B = February and so on).^[1]

F or T + year digit + sequenceElite and Elitist models, 2000s

Gibson’s examples are 2 = 2002 and 3 = 2003.^[1]

All digits: YY + MM + rankabout 2008 on

Year, month, then a ranking number.^[1]

What Epiphone says, era by era

1980s and early 1990s

Gibson says many serials from this period may follow a similar layout but may lack a factory code.^[1]

Worked examples

• 1104150123: April 2011. Illustrative number made up to show the format, not a real instrument.^[1]
• U03081234: Factory code U (meaning not published), August 2003. Illustrative number made up to show the format, not a real instrument.^[1]

What the serial can’t tell you

• Gibson doesn’t publish what each factory letter means, so we don’t name factories; lists that do come from third parties.^[1]
• Rank digits vary in length and don’t indicate how many instruments were made.^[1]
• Gibson doesn’t appraise instruments.^[2]
• Factory letter meanings.
• Where Epiphone serials are located (Gibson’s guide doesn’t say).

Ask Epiphone

• Gibson Help Center: Gibson handles Epiphone support and asks for the serial and photos if you can’t identify an instrument.^[2]