Gretsch Guitars Understanding Gretsch guitar serial numbers. Gretsch used several different serial number schemes through the years. Each of them can be used to. Vintage Fender Guitars, we offer a huge range of vintage and used Fender guitars. Thanks StratTalk, I Have one of them, pretty nice guitar just the same. Nice fat neck, Not the fatest though. Nice looking Ash Body and Flamed Maple neck. Fender Guitar Serial Numbers Search' title='Fender Guitar Serial Numbers Search' />Gretsch Guitar Serial Numbers Gretsch GEAR The Gretsch Pages. Understanding Gretsch guitar serial numbers. Gretsch used several different serial number schemes through the years. Each of them can be used to accurately pinpoint the age of a guitar, if you have the correct information. Unfortunately, correct information can be very difficult to come by. Most online guides and quite a few print guides are based on Jay Scotts groundbreaking book. Gretsch the guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company,. Subsequent research has unearthed quite a few inaccuracies in Scotts numbers, so any serial number guides cribbing from Scott are also incorrect. The Gretsch GEAR database exists to get it right. Gretsch fans to put the pieces together. If youd like to learn more about Gretsch serial numbers. Ed Balls Gretsch 6. The History of a Legendary Guitar. Ball is one of the key researchers who have determined the actual dates, years and features Gretsch serial numbers correspond to. Sequential numbering 1. Don Mock Guitar Secrets Revealed Pdf Editor. From the beginning of the Synchromatic era until 1. Gretsch guitars were sequentially numbered and can be used to reliably date the guitar. However, it is important to note several key points. Gretsch annual changes corresponded to model years, like automakers, not necessarily calendar year. Find Martin Guitars serial numbers, Find and buy vintage instruments like vintage martin guitars and other vintage guitars, mandolins, pianos, and percussion. Gretsch History 60 Broadway building 4, Gretschs NY home for decades. Gretsch musical instrument production began in 1883 when Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant. Just as a 5. 7 Chevy may have been built in late 5. Nevertheless, if it has all the typical 5. Gretsch guitars were built in batches, typically of 1. Guitars typically did not change much within a batch with some exceptions but they often changed from batch to batch. Which means two examples from the same year could have different features, depending on which batches they came from. You can see this as you browse Gretsch GEAR or chart the changes. Numbers restarted after World War II, which can lead to considerable confusion on very old Gretsches. If it has a light bulb headstock, its probably pre war. The numbers here are generally considered the most accurate numbers publicly available at the time. However, research has indicated that they could be substantially off. If you have questions, ask on the forum. One of our resident Gretsch sperts will be able to help. Gretsch began numbering guitars sequentially, probably in 1. The numbers, by model year Less than 1. Pre war 1. 0xx to 2. Approximately 1. 94. Approximately 1. 94. Approximately 1. 95. Approximately 1. 95. Approximately 1. 95. Note 1. 00. 0 serial numbers from 1. Note the misplaced 1. Gretsch began date coding serial numbers in August 1. Date coded serial numbers are typically found stamped on the back or top of the headstock, and Made in USA is stamped next to the number starting in June 1. The first digit or first 2 digits month 1 1. The next digit last digit of the year 1. The remaining digits number of individual instrument, probably. For example, 2. 71. February 2, 1. 96. A hyphenated number was embossed on the back of headstock. The digits before hyphen month 1 1. The first digit after hyphen last digit of year. Last 3 digits number of the instrument. For example, 3 8. March 3, 1. 97. Modern era Pre Fender serial numbers. Serial numbers have six numbers, with a three digit suffix. The first two digits are the year of manufacture. The next digit is the month. The next three digits are the model number, without the 6 at the beginning. The final numbers are the sequential order of the model made during the lifespan of the model not that year. For example, 9. 46. June 1. 99. 4 Tennessee Rose, the 9. June 1. 19 is the model 61. Lower numbers will always appear on earlier guitars, higher numbers on later guitars. Remember that 2. 00. Also, on guitars built in October, November or December, the third AND fourth digits denote the month. A special note on pre Fender MIK models Electromatics, Synchromatics and Historics. Serial numbers on Korean made guitars in this era were printed on a sticker affixed to the back of the headstock. This sticker, along with the Made in Korea sticker, went missing almost immediately sometimes before the guitar even left the store. In addition, these guitars followed no known numbering scheme. As of July 2. 01. This only pertains the pre Fender Korean made guitars. The Fender era 5. Fender numbering scheme. Modern FMIC era serial numbers. When Fender took over production in January 2. Fender era serial numbers have a two character originating factory code, followed by year and month, and finally a sequential ordering number. For example, serial number JT0. J Japan T Terada factory. July Production 4. The two letter factory code prefixes include CS US, Custom Shop. CY China, Yako. KP Korea, Peerless. KS Korea, SamickSPGJD Japan, Dyna Gakki. JF Japan, Fuji Gen Gakki. JT Japan, Terada. IS Indonesia, Samick. Of those, JT is by far the most common on the pro line instruments. However, other Japanese facilities have been used, so its not particularly unusual to see JD and JF prefixes. Most Electromatic hollowbodies carry a KS designation, although KP was fairly common prior to about 2. CY is usually seen on Electromatic solidbodies such as the CorvetteCVT. The last four numbers are sequential for the given year all models combined and are broken into two categories as follows. Reserved for prototypes, samples, one offs, and other special things. Regular production all models combined. So, JT0. 50. 70. 01. Terada factory in July 2. Unlike the pre Fender codes, specific models are no longer designated within the serial number. Thanks to Mike Lewis of Fender for detailing the current numbering system. Finding your serial number. In the beginning, Gretsch simply wrote serial numbers inside the guitar in pencil. These pencilled in numbers often fade and become illegible, or even disappear. After World War II, some guitars had a serial number embossed on the head, but reliable numbers didnt really appear until the advent of the first labels, around 1. Early labelled Gretsches will usually have a printed serial number and a handwritten model number. On hollowbodies, the label is usually visible through the f hole. On other models such as solidbodies, it should be inside a control cavity. From about 1. 94. Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. 6. 0 Broadway, Brooklyn 1. N. Y. Model. Serial No. Musical Instrument Makers Since 1. The serial number will probably be printed in red, and the model number written in blue or black. The label has a fairly ornate border around it, but the Gretsch is usually printed in a plain font. Invitation Program Scroll Wedding Cake. However, some have Gretsch printed as the familiar logo. Beginning in about 1. On this one, The Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. was printed in black on an orange shape that vaguely resembles a musical note. This was superimposed on a gray over white label. On the white part, the serial number is printed, and the model number should be handwritten. This label should be on all guitars after number 2. This would be a good time to note that some models, particularly 1. Beginning in 1. 96. In the late 6. 0s the labels returned on most models. For a brief period rarely found labels were used that look like the second generation labels, except That Great Gretsch Sound is printed across the bottom. Finally, sometime around 1. With Gretsch Guitars in a logo type font across the top. These labels list model and serial numbers and along the bottom reads Made in U. S. A. On modern Gretsches, the serial number is usually readily visible on the back of the headstock.