Gretsch began using serial numbers on its guitars in 1939. The earliest numbers were written in pencil inside the body.
Gretsch guitars were made in the United States. Early Gretsch instruments were built in Brooklyn, New York. Later production continued under Baldwin in Booneville, Arkansas.
Quick Navigation
Where to Find a Gretsch Serial Number
Many older Gretsch guitars have the serial number on a paper label. If your guitar is hollow-body or semi-hollow, look through the f-hole into the body. You are looking for a label inside the guitar with printed information such as the model and serial number.
If your Gretsch is solid-body, also check the control cavity. If you don’t see a label, check the back of the headstock, a common location on later guitars. Also check the top edge of the headstock.
A few older Gretsch guitars have the serial number on the headstock nameplate. In that case, the number is pressed into the plate itself.
On very early Gretsch guitars, the serial number may be written in pencil inside the body. These numbers can be hard to read.
Gretsch Serial Number Decoder
Enter the serial number of your Gretsch guitar and click the “Check” button. The decoder will display the year and country of manufacture.
Gretsch Handwritten Serial Number, From 1939 to 1949
Gretsch began putting serial numbers on guitars in 1939. The first guitar serial numbers were written in pencil inside the body. They were usually written on the inside back of the guitar. At first, this was mostly done on higher-end Synchromatic models.
These numbers were sequential. Each new guitar got the next higher number.
Use this chart for early handwritten and pencil Gretsch serial numbers.
| Serial Number Range | Approximate Year |
|---|---|
| 001 to 999 | 1939 to 1945 |
| 1000s to 2000s | 1946 to 1947 |
| 2000s to 3000s | 1948 to 1949 |
The main dating rule here is the number of digits. A 3-digit pencil serial usually points to 1939-1945. A 4-digit pencil serial usually points to the later 1940s.
Gretsch began using stamped serial numbers in 1945 and label numbers in 1949. However, until the early 1950s, they continued to use numbers written in pencil.
Gretsch Stamped Serial Number, From 1945 to 1965
In 1945, Gretsch began using stamped serial numbers. The numbers were pressed into the top edge of the headstock, mainly on some lower-priced guitars.
Stamped serial numbers became much less common from the early 1950s to 1962. They returned on many Electrotone and solid-body guitars from 1962 to 1965.
Some Viking, Falcon, and Country Gentleman guitars made from 1958 to 1965 have the serial number impressed into the headstock nameplate instead of the wood.
Use this chart for stamped Gretsch serial numbers.
| Serial Number Range | Approximate Year |
|---|---|
| 1000s to 3000s | 1945 to 1950 |
| 4000s to 5000s | 1951 |
| 5000s to 6000s | 1952 |
| 6000s to 8000s | 1953 |
| 9000s to 12000s | 1954 |
| 12000s to 16000s | 1955 |
| 17000s to 21000s | 1956 |
| 22000s to 26000s | 1957 |
| 27000s to 30000s | 1958 |
| 30000s to 34000s | 1959 |
| 34000s to 39000s | 1960 |
| 39000s to 45000s | 1961 |
| 46000s to 52000s | 1962 |
| 53000s to 63000s | 1963 |
| 63000s to 77000s | 1964 |
| 77000s to 84000s | 1964 to early 1965 |
Gretsch Paper Label Serial Number, From 1949 to 1965
In 1949, Gretsch began using labels inside its guitars. These labels show the company name, the model number, and the serial number. On hollow-body guitars, the label is usually visible through the f-hole. On solid-body and chambered models, it is usually in the control cavity.
The first label was a white rectangle, used from 1949 to 1957.
In 1957, starting with serial number 25001, Gretsch switched to an orange oval label on a gray and white background. This label remained in use until 1965.
These label serial numbers are sequential. Each new guitar got the next higher number.
Use the chart above to date guitars with these serial numbers.
In the early 1950s, some guitars still used older pencil numbers. Then from 1962 to 1965, some solid-body and Electrotone models used impressed serial numbers instead of labels. Some Viking, Falcon, and Country Gentleman guitars from 1958 to 1965 also have the serial number on the headstock nameplate.
Gretsch Date-Coded Serial Number, From 1965 to 1981
Gretsch changed from the older sequential serial number to a date-coded system in 1965. This format was used through the late 1960s and into the 1970s.
The serial number was moved to the back of the headstock. On some guitars made before 1967, it can also be found on the top edge of the headstock.
Toward the end of 1967, after Baldwin took over the company, Gretsch continued using this date-coded system. At that point the number was again placed on the back of the headstock. From about June 1967 to 1973, many guitars also have Made in USA stamped next to the serial number.
The new serial number included the guitar’s production date.
The first 1 or 2 digits indicate the month.
The next digit gives the last digit of the year.
The remaining digits are the production number.
Examples:
- 58321 = May 1968, guitar 321
- 4712 = April 1967, guitar 12
- 127045 = December 1970 or December 1980, guitar 45
This system is harder to read on guitars from 1970 to 1972. Serial numbers beginning with 10, 11, or 12 can be confusing. In these cases, the guitar’s features can help confirm the date.
From 1973 to 1981, many Gretsch guitars had a second date-coded format with a hyphen.
The digits before the hyphen indicate the month.
The first digit after the hyphen gives the last digit of the year.
The last 3 digits are the production number.
Examples:
- 3-4127 = March 1974, guitar 127
- 7-8456 = July 1978, guitar 456
- 11-5123 = November 1975, guitar 123
- 2-9804 = February 1979, guitar 804
Not every 1970s Gretsch serial number is date-coded. Some f-hole guitars from 1969 to 1981 have 5-digit label numbers that begin with 1 or 2. Those numbers are sequential. They are NOT date-coded.
On many guitars from the late 1960s and early 1970s, the serial number appears on an orange and gray label with “That Great Gretsch Sound” printed at the bottom.
Guitars made from 1972 to 1981 often have a black and white “Gretsch Guitars” label. Because these serial numbers are not date-coded, the best way to date the guitar is to compare the label style, model number series, and guitar features.
Gretsch Serial Number Japan, From 1989 to 2002
Gretsch guitar production had stopped by 1981. The Gretsch family bought the brand back in 1985, and new Gretsch guitars appeared again in 1989. Production resumed in Japan, mainly at Terada for higher-end models.
Japanese-made Gretsch guitars follow a different serial number system. Most of these serial numbers are found on the back of the headstock.
This format looks like: YYMmmm-xxx or YYMMmmm-xxx.
The first 2 digits indicate the year.
The next 1 or 2 digits give the month.
The next 3 digits are the model number.
The digits after the hyphen are the production number.
So, serial number 951120-014 means:
- 95 = 1995.
- 11 = November.
- 20 = model code.
- 014 = production number.
One important point: the last digits after the hyphen are not the monthly production total. They show the production number for that model run.
Starting in 1999, Gretsch added lower-priced Electromatic, Synchromatic, and Historic Series guitars made in Korea. These guitars did not follow one clear serial number system. Many had a sticker on the back of the headstock, and some of those stickers are now missing.
So, this serial number format applies to the Japanese-made models, not to every Gretsch guitar made from 1999 to 2002.
Gretsch Serial Numbers with Letter Prefixes, Since 2003
In 2003, Gretsch was sold to Fender, which introduced one serial number system for all guitars.
This is the system used on modern Gretsch guitars and basses. The serial number is usually found on the back of the headstock.
Modern Gretsch serial numbers start with a 2-letter factory prefix, followed by:
- 2 digits for the year
- 2 digits for the month
- 4 digits for the production number
For example, serial number JT14082345 means:
- JT = Japan, Terada.
- 14 = 2014.
- 08 = August.
- 2345 = production number.
Serial number CY23050127 means:
- CY = China, Yako.
- 23 = 2023.
- 05 = May.
- 0127 = production number.
The last 4 digits are the yearly production sequence for that factory. Numbers from 0001 to 0100 were reserved for prototypes, samples, one-offs, and other special instruments.
These are the main modern factory prefixes:
| Prefix | Factory |
|---|---|
| JT | Japan, Terada |
| JD | Japan, Dyna Gakki |
| JF | Japan, Fuji-Gen Gakki |
| CY | China, Yako |
| KP | Korea, Peerless |
| KS | Korea, Samick/SPG |
| CS | U.S. Custom Shop |