The serial number can help you find the year of a guitar. New ESP guitars are easy to decode. Older ones are often harder to date.
ESP and LTD are closely related, but they are not the same line. ESP refers to the higher end Japanese line. LTD was created as the more affordable line and was made in larger numbers at factories outside Japan.
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Where to Find ESP Serial Number
On most ESP guitars, the first place to check is the back of the headstock. Many older bolt on ESP models may have the serial number on the neck plate instead. The earliest guitars may not have a serial number at all. In those cases, you may find extra markings in the neck pocket, on the neck heel, or in a pickup cavity.
On most LTD guitars, the serial number is also found on the back of the headstock. On some older LTD guitars, especially older bolt on instruments, you may also find a number on the neck plate or under the pickups.
ESP Serial Number Decoder
Enter the serial number exactly as it appears on the guitar. Keep all letters and numbers. Do not guess missing digits.
If the decoder gives no result, use the manual guide below.
ESP Serial Number on the Back of the Headstock
The back of the headstock is one of the most common places to find an ESP serial number. The format can look very different depending on the era. Pre 2000 guitars often use an all number date code. Guitars from 2000 to 2015 use one or two letter prefixes plus 7 digits. Newer ESP guitars use a later brand based format.
8-digit headstock serial number Before 2000
Most pre 2000 ESP headstock serial numbers follow the 8-digit format DDMMYNNN.
DD is the day of the month.
MM is the month.
Y is the last digit of the year.
NNN is the production number.
A serial number like 15049327 can be read as 15 April 1993, production number 927. A serial like 17049918 can be read as 17 04 9 918, but the year digit 9 may fit 1989 or 1999. So older ESP guitars still need to be checked against the model, logo, hardware, and period correct specs.
Some older headstock serials appear as 7 digits or 6 digits, but they are usually shortened versions of the same system. This happens when a leading zero in the day or month is omitted in the stamped number. So these are not really a separate dating format.
For example, the full serial 03078541 reads as 03 07 8 541, which means 3 July, year ending in 8, production number 541. The same base serial number can be displayed as 3078541 if one zero is missing, or as 378541 if two zeros are missing.
Letter Prefix headstock serial number 2000-2015
Many ESP guitars from 2000 to 2015 use a format with one or two letters plus seven digits. The letter part identifies the factory or production line. The number part is usually read as YYWWDNN.
YY is the year.
WW is the production week.
D is the day of that week.
NN is the production number.
A serial like K0905312 can be read as follows.
K = factory prefix
09 = 2009
05 = week 5
3 = day 3 of that week
12 = production number 12.
Commonly listed prefixes for this period are shown below.
| Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| K | ESP Kiso Factory |
| S | ESP Sado Factory |
| T | ESP Takada Factory |
| SS | not exactly known |
| CH | Craft House |
| CS | Craft House, used rarely |
| TH | Technical House |
| N | Nagano Factory |
Modern ESP serial number Since 2015
Newer ESP headstock serial numbers use a format with E + 7 digits. For the E-II model the format is ES + 7 digits. In this system, E stands for ESP. The next 4 digits are the production number. The next 2 digits are the year. The last digit shows the series (1 – Custom, 2 = Signatures, 3 – E-II series).
A sample serial like E2547162 can be read as follows.
E = ESP
2547 = production number
16 = 2016
2 = series code 2 (Signatures)
In this newer format, the last digit is usually read as:
| Last Digit | Series |
|---|---|
| 1 | Custom Series |
| 2 | Signature Series |
| 3 | E II Series |
ESP Serial Number on the Neck Plate
Some older bolt on ESP guitars use a 5 digit serial number punched into the neck plate. This system is less exact than a headstock serial number. In most cases, a neck plate number can only suggest a likely year range.
Unlike headstock serials, these numbers are not read digit by digit. They work more like a range chart. You match the full 5 digit number to the closest known production range.
Here is the commonly used range chart.
| Neck plate serial range | Likely year |
|---|---|
| 592XX | 1989 |
| 601XX to 618XX | 1992 |
| 619XX to 912XX | 1993 |
| 1XXXX to 166XX | 1993 |
| 167XX to 183XX | 1994 |
| 184XX to 244XX | 1995 |
| 245XX to 261XX | 1996 |
| 273XX to 294XX | 1997 |
| 301XX to 357XX | 1998 |
| 339XX to 369XX | 1999 |
| 379XX to 387XX | 2000 |
| 388XX to 416XX | 2001 |
| 402XX | 2002 |
| 4170X | 2003 |
Examples:
A neck plate serial like 60543 fits the 1992 range.
A serial like 14238 fits the 1993 restart range. That is because 1993 appears in two different groups. One group runs from 619XX to 912XX. The other restarts at 1XXXX and continues to 166XX.
A serial like 17564 points to 1994.
A serial like 34721 is less clear. It falls into the area where the published 1998 and 1999 ranges overlap. In a case like that, the neck plate alone is not enough. So this kind of number should be checked against the guitar itself.
Hidden ESP Serial Numbers and Internal Marks
Not every ESP guitar gives you a clear serial number on the back of the headstock or neck plate. On some older guitars, the best clues are hidden inside the instrument. These marks do not always work like a normal serial number, but they can still help you narrow down the production period.
ESP Pickup cavity numbers
Some older ESP guitars have handwritten or stamped marks inside the pickup cavity. These may include short number strings, model codes, assembly notes, or partial dates.
Do not assume every number in the cavity is a true serial number. In many cases, it is just a factory mark or production note. Still, these markings can be useful when the guitar has no clear external serial number.
If you check the pickup cavity, look for:
- date style number patterns
- handwritten inspection marks
- model related codes
- matching marks that also appear on the neck or body
A cavity mark works best when it matches the guitar’s features.
ESP Neck heel and neck pocket markings
On bolt on ESP guitars, another good place to check is the neck heel and the neck pocket. Older guitars sometimes have pencil dates, short factory notes, or matching assembly marks in these areas.
These marks can be more helpful than a neck plate serial number, especially on guitars from the late 1980s and 1990s.
Look for:
- pencil dates;
- stamped dates;
- short handwritten codes;
- matching numbers on both neck and body.
If the neck heel and neck pocket show the same style of marking, that is a good sign the parts belong together.
LTD Serial Number
LTD guitars were built in factories outside Japan, and their serial formats are based more on factory prefixes than on the older Japanese ESP dating systems.
Older LTD serial numbers
Older LTD guitars are more difficult to date than later ones. Serial numbers were less consistent in the early years of production.
For later LTD guitars, the most useful rule is simple. The letter or letters at the beginning usually identify the factory or country. The first two digits after that prefix usually show the year.
So if a serial begins with a prefix and the next two digits are 08, the guitar is usually from 2008. If the next two digits are 14, it usually points to 2014.
The most common formats of LTD serial numbers:
| Format | Example | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Letter + 7 digits | U1204567 | Country Prefix + Year + Production Digits |
| Two letters + 7 digits | IS1304567 | Country Prefix + Year + Production Digits |
| Letter + 8 digits | W07195227 | Country Prefix + Year + Production Digits |
| Two letters + 8 digits | IW14082345 | Country Prefix + Year + Production Digits |
| Two letters + 9 digits | IS180104567 | Country Prefix + Year + Production Digits |
The prefixes below are some of the most commonly seen on LTD guitars.
| Prefix | Usually linked to |
|---|---|
| E | Korea |
| U | Korea |
| I | Vietnam |
| L | China |
| IS | Indonesia |
| IR | Indonesia |
| W | World Musical Instrument, Korea |
| IW | Indonesia |
| IX | Indonesia |
| WR | World Musical Instrument, Korea |
| GW | World Musical Instrument, Korea |
| SX | China |
| SK | China |
| RS | China |
| SP | China |
Examples:
- A serial like U1204567 would be read as a Korean made LTD from 2012.
- A serial like L0903124 would point to a Chinese made LTD from 2009.
- A serial like IS1304567 would point to an Indonesian made LTD from 2013.
How to Date A Guitar Without a Serial Number
A missing serial number does not always mean you cannot date the guitar. With ESP and LTD, the best approach is to combine visual details with period correct specs.
The first step is to compare the guitar with old ESP catalogs. Body shape, pickups, bridge type, control layout, finish options, and inlays can often place the guitar in the right year.
With ESP, catalog matching is often very important because older guitars do not always have an easy serial system.