Gretsch Serial Numbers Lookup

DATING GRETSCH GUITARS BY REFERENCE OF SERIAL NUMBERS

Throughout the years, Gretsch Company has had different owners, each of whom implemented their own approach to assigning serial numbers and determining the age of their products.

Where to find the serial number

The majority of Gretsch guitars produced after 1989 feature serial numbers located at the back of the headstock. However, some models produced between 1962 and the late 1960s may have serial numbers on the top of the headstock or on the pickguard. Vintage Gretsch guitars often contain a label that can be seen through the F-hole on a hollow body or in a single control cavity on a solid body. Prior to 1949, Gretsch guitars did not have labels, and serial numbers were written in pencil inside the instrument.

You can determine the production year of your Gretsch guitar by utilizing the serial number decoder or by consulting the TABLES PROVIDED BELOW.

DECODER coming soon… see tables

All decoders:

Gretsch history in short

Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant from Mannheim, began building drum kits and banjos in 1883. After WWI, the company was taken over by his son, Fred, under whose leadership it flourished and gained a reputation for high quality and precision. With the rise of big bands around 1930, the banjo was gradually replaced by the guitar, and in 1939, Gretsch released its first electric guitar, the “Electromatic Line,” followed by the archtop model “Synchromatic Line.”

In 1942, the company was handed over to Fred Jr. and William. Led by Fred Gretsch Jr., many innovative guitars were built in the mid-1950s, such as the Model 6120 and the “White Falcon.” In late July 1967, the company was sold to the Baldwin Piano Company, and production remained in Brooklyn until it was moved to Booneville, Arkansas in 1969. However, production was halted in 1981 due to a fire in the factory.

Interest in Gretsch guitars revived in the 1980s, thanks in part to the Stray Cats and Chris Isaak, and production resumed. The Gretsch White Falcon 1 became a popular model again during this time. Since 1985, when Fred regained control of the company, Gretsches were made in Japan.

In 2002, Fred approached Fender for distribution in Europe. Fender offered to distribute the guitars worldwide and also build them for Gretsch. In 2003, Gretsch and Fender signed an agreement allowing Fender to gain control over production and distribution of guitars, thereby gaining a foothold in the Gibson-dominated market for semi-acoustic guitars. New and improved old models soon appeared.

Serial numbers

In the early years (1939-1945) Gretsch started with handwritten sequential serial numbers (001-999), written directly on the inside of the guitar.
Often these serials are vague or almost illegible or completely erased.
If you see at least three hard-to-read numbers, you can be pretty sure that it is a pre-war instrument.

In the period from 1945 to 1954 there is the transition from handwritten serial numbers to the official labels in 1949, although the numbering remained the same.

The following serials are approximate. In general, a higher number means that the guitar was produced later in the year or transferred to the next year’s range.

(xx runs from 00 to 99)

SERIAL NUMBER	PRODUCTION YEAR
Down 1000	Pre-World War II
1000 to 20xx	1945-1947
20xx to 30xx	1948-1949
30xx to 40xx	1950
40xx to 50xx	1951
50xx to 70xx	1952
70xx to 90xx	1953
90xx to 130xx	1954

In the period of 1954-1965 the consecutive numbering scheme remained the same. The only difference is that the number of guitars produced (and therefore serial numbers) is higher.

(*) In 1957, about a thousand serial number labels were lost for unknown reasons. It was not until 1965 that part of this was found and used for that year’s production.

SERIAL NUMBER	PRODUCTION YEAR
130xx to 180xx	1955
180xx to 210xx	1956
210xx to 260xx	1957 (*)
260xx to 300xx	1958
300xx to 340xx	1959
340xx to 390xx	1960
390xx to 450xx	1961
451xx to 530xx	1962
530xx to 630xx	1963
630xx to 770xx	1964
770xx to 840xx	1965 (*)

With the imminent acquisition by Baldwin and annual production of approximately 150,000 guitars, Gretsch switched to a date-linked coding system in August 1966.
Strangely enough, some guitars have serial numbers stamped into the narrow top of the headstock, while others have it stamped on the back. From June of 1967, the text ‘Made in the USA’ is stamped next to the serial number.

The date-code distribution used from 1966 to 1972: (without a hyphen in the serial number)
The first digit(s) represent the month of manufacture (1-12 for January-December).
The next digit is the last digit of the year (6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2 for 1966-1972).
The last three digits is the production number of that month.
Example 129800:
Month: December Year: 1969 Production number: 800

The guitars manufactured from 1972-1981 are easier to identify because they are the only Gretsch specimens with a hyphen (or a space) after the first one or two digits.

The meaning of the numbers is the same as that without a hyphen.
The digits for the hyphen are for the month (1-12).
The first position after the hyphen (or space) represents the last digit of the year (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1 for 1972-1981).
The last three digits represent the production number for that month.
Example 6-2752:
Month: June Year: 1972 Production number: 752

Before the acquisition by Fender (in 2003), a more logical sequential application for the period 1989-2002 is the production made in Japan with a xxxxxx-xxx serial number.

The first two digits are the year, the next digit or two digits is the month (1-9/10-12). The subsequent three digits is the model number, eg. 120 = G6120.
The digits after the hyphen show the production number during the execution of the model. (not for that month or year)
Example 976120-123:
Month: June, Year: 1997, Model: 120, Production number: 123

In 2003 Gretsch is acquired by Fender. Fender decided to introduce a single serial number system for all guitars after 2002.
The Gretsch serial numbers now have a two letter prefix indicating the location of the production, followed by a two-digit year a two-digit month and a four-digit production number related to that specific plant.

Production locations

Prefix	Country	Plant
CS	United States	Custom Shop
CY	China	Yako
GP	Korea	Peerless (until 2002)
KP	Korea	Peerless
KS	Korea	SPG (Sound Professional Guitar Co, Ltd.)
JD	Japan	Dyna Gakki
JF	Japan	FujiGen Gakki
JT	Japan	Terada
IS	Indonesia	Samick

Example: KS14053456
Year of manufacture: 2014. Month: May. Manufacture: Korea.
Factory: SPG. Production number: 3456.

FAQ

How can I tell what year my Gretsch guitar was made?

Throughout the years, Gretsch Company has had different owners, each of whom implemented their own approach to assigning serial numbers and determining the age of their products. You can determine the production year of your Gretsch guitar by utilizing the serial number decoder or by consulting the table.
How do I find Gretsch guitar serial number?

The majority of Gretsch guitars produced after 1989 feature serial numbers located at the back of the headstock. However, some models produced between 1962 and the late 1960s may have serial numbers on the top of the headstock or on the pickguard. Vintage Gretsch guitars often contain a label that can be seen through the F-hole on a hollow body or in a single control cavity on a solid body. Prior to 1949, Gretsch guitars did not have labels, and serial numbers were written in pencil inside the instrument.

Guitarinsite.nl

Gretsch Serial Numbers