Rickenbacker has used several serial number systems over the years. Early numbers often combined model codes with a year digit and production number. Later systems used letters to identify the year and month. Modern serial numbers begin with the last two digits of the year followed by the production number.
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Where to Find a Rickenbacker Serial Number
On most post-1960 Rickenbacker guitars, the serial number is on the output jack plate. The full serial number includes the digits at both ends of the plate. On many guitars, the code is split around the jack. On some older instruments, the serial number may appear in one straight line instead of being split.
Some Rickenbacker guitars have the serial number on the bridge plate. On others, it is on a separate metal plate near the lower strap peg.
Rickenbacker Serial Number Decoder
Enter the serial number and click the Check button. The decoder will show the production year of your Rickenbacker guitar.
If the decoder gives no result, use the manual guide below.
Early Rickenbacker Serial Number, Before 1954
Many early instruments are very hard to date by serial number alone.
Some early Rickenbacker instruments have serial numbers, but these numbers do not indicate the production year. Pre-1954 instruments need to be dated using other details.
To date these guitars, check the model features, hardware, pickup type, control layout, and pot codes.
Another important source of information for this period is patent numbers. A patent number does not give the exact build year, but it can give you an earliest possible date. If a patent number appears on a part, the instrument must have been made after that patent date.
Use this patent reference chart:
| Patent Number | Part | Patent Date | Patentee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.839.395 | Hand vibrato tailpiece | January 5, 1932 | C.O. Kauffman |
| 1.881.229 | Molded musical instruments and necks | October 4, 1932 | A.P. Young |
| 2.089.171 | Frying Pan and horseshoe pickup | August 10, 1937 | George D. Beauchamp |
| 2.130.174 | Headless electric violin instruments | September 13, 1938 | George D. Beauchamp |
| 2.152.783 | Roller vibrato tailpiece | April 4, 1939 | Paul M. Barth |
| 2.241.911 | Vibrola Spanish guitar | May 13, 1941 | C.O. Kauffman |
| 2.310.199 | Tubular body for electric violin | February 9, 1943 | George D. Beauchamp |
| 2.310.606 | Detachable horseshoe pickup | February 9, 1943 | Paul M. Barth |
| 3.091.150 | The Sceusa neck | May 23, 1963 | Peter P. Sceusa |
| DES. 208.329 | Bantar | January 5, 1932 | F.C. Hall |
Letter-Prefix Rickenbacker Serial Number, From 1954 to 1959
From 1954 to September 1959, Rickenbacker used a letter-prefix serial number system on solidbody instruments. These serial numbers were stamped on the jack plate or bridge.
In this format, the digits before the letter show the model series, the letter shows the instrument type, the first digit after the letter shows the last digit of the year, and the last three digits show the production number. Each model had its own number sequence.
Example: 6C8456.
- 6 = 600 series
- C = combo guitar
- 8 = 1958
- 456 = production number
Serial number 4B9123 is a 400-series bass from 1959, production number 123.
The model prefix tells you which series the instrument belongs to. The most common prefixes in this system are listed below.
| Prefix | Model Series |
|---|---|
| 4 | 400 or 425 |
| 6 | 600 |
| 65 | 650 |
| 8 | 800 |
The letter in the middle identifies the type of instrument.
| Letter | Instrument Type |
|---|---|
| C | Combo guitar |
| B | Bass |
| M | Mandolin |
| V | 3/4-size guitar |
Some instruments from this period use special formats, including some 450 models, 3/4-size guitars, basses, mandolins, and a few shorter serial forms. See the exceptions section for more details.
Capri and Hollowbody Rickenbacker Serial Number, From 1958 to 1960
From 1958 to October 1960, Rickenbacker used a different serial number system on Capri and hollowbody guitars. These numbers were stamped on the output jack plate.
A serial number from this period begins with 2 or 3. The first digit gives the number of pickups. The letter after it identifies the tailpiece type: T = standard tailpiece, V = vibrato tailpiece. The remaining digits are the production number. In 1960, the letter R also appears on some Deluxe models.
Serial number 2T412, for example, is a 2-pickup guitar with a standard tailpiece. 3V214 is a 3-pickup guitar with a vibrato tailpiece.
Early 1958 serial numbers are shorter than later ones.
Letter Codes
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| T | Standard tailpiece |
| V | Vibrato tailpiece |
| R | Deluxe model code used in 1960 |
Transitional Rickenbacker Serial Number, From September 1959 to October 1960
From September 1959 to October 1960, Rickenbacker used a transitional serial number format on solidbody instruments. In this period, the serial number still begins with the model digits, but the middle letter changes to A.
The first digit after A is usually 9 for late 1959 or 0 for 1960. The rest of the number is the production sequence.
Example: 4A9234.
- 4 = model series
- A = transitional format
- 9 = late 1959
- 234 = production number
Two-Letter Rickenbacker Serial Number, From 1960 to 1986
From late 1960 to 1986, Rickenbacker used a two-letter serial number system on all models. These serial numbers are usually found on the jack plate. The letters are at one end of the jack plate, and the digits are at the other end. Read together, they make the full serial number.
The serial number has 2 letters followed by 3 to 5 digits.
- The first letter identifies the year.
- The second letter identifies the month.
- The digits are the production number.
Example: CE245.
- C = 1963
- E = May
- 245 = production number
The first letter is the year. See the meaning in this chart:
| First Letter | Year |
|---|---|
| A | 1961 |
| B | 1962 |
| C | 1963 |
| D | 1964 |
| E | 1965 |
| F | 1966 |
| G | 1967 |
| H | 1968 |
| I | 1969 |
| J | 1970 (or 1960*) |
| K | 1971 |
| L | 1972 |
| M | 1973 |
| N | 1974 |
| O | 1975 |
| P | 1976 |
| Q | 1977 |
| R | 1978 |
| S | 1979 |
| T | 1980 |
| U | 1981 |
| V | 1982 |
| W | 1983 |
| X | 1984 |
| Y | 1985 |
| Z | 1986 |
*One important detail is the letter J. It can mean 1960 or 1970.
The second letter shows the month:
| Second Letter | Month |
|---|---|
| A | January |
| B | February |
| C | March |
| D | April |
| E | May |
| F | June |
| G | July |
| H | August |
| I | September |
| J | October |
| K | November |
| L | December |
On some older instruments from this period, the serial number appears in one straight line instead of being split around the jack. The format is read the same way.
Letter + Digit Rickenbacker Serial Number, From 1987 to 1996
From 1987 to 1996, Rickenbacker used a letter-and-digit serial number format on all models. The serial number is on the jack plate. The letter and the first digit are above the jack. The other digits are below it.
The letter shows the month.
The digit after the letter shows the year.
The remaining digits show the production number.
Example: H51234.
- H = August
- 5 = 1992
- 1234 = production number
These are the year digits used in the 1987 to 1996 system:
| Year Digit | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1987 |
| 1 | 1988 |
| 2 | 1989 |
| 3 | 1990 |
| 4 | 1991 |
| 5 | 1992 |
| 6 | 1993 |
| 7 | 1994 |
| 8 | 1995 |
| 9 | 1996 |
The month letters stayed the same as in the earlier two-letter system:
| Letter | Month |
|---|---|
| A | January |
| B | February |
| C | March |
| D | April |
| E | May |
| F | June |
| G | July |
| H | August |
| I | September |
| J | October |
| K | November |
| L | December |
Rickenbacker Serial Number From 1997 to 1998
From 1997 to 1998, Rickenbacker kept the same basic letter-and-digit serial number layout on the jack plate, but the code changed.
The letter still shows the month.
The number after it shows the year.
The remaining digits show the production number.
The difference is that 0 was used again for 1997 and 1 was used again for 1998. The month letters also changed in this period.
Example: M0345.
- M = January
- 0 = 1997
- 345 = production number
Only two year digits were used from 1997 to 1998:
| Year Digit | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1997 |
| 1 | 1998 |
The month letters moved forward in the alphabet in this period. The letter O was skipped to avoid confusion with the number 0.
| Letter | Month |
|---|---|
| M | January |
| N | February |
| P | March |
| R | April |
| S | May |
| T | June |
| U | July |
| V | August |
| W | September |
| X | October |
| Y | November |
Modern Rickenbacker Serial Number Since 1998
In 1998, Rickenbacker changed the serial number format. Instead of letters, the number now begins with 2 digits that identify the year. The rest is the production number.
Examples:
- 040372 = 2004, production number 0372
- 241158 = 2024, production number 1158
Rickenbacker Special Serial Numbers and Exceptions
Some Rickenbacker serial numbers do not follow the main patterns shown above. Most of these exceptions are found on earlier instruments. There are also a few later cases where the serial number can cause confusion even if the format looks normal.
These are the main special formats and exceptions:
Model 450 Serial Number
Period: 1954 to September 1959.
The Model 450 uses a special serial number format: 4C####A. The 4 points to the 400 series. The C means combo guitar. The first digit after C is still the last digit of the year in the 1950s. The remaining digits are the production number. The final A is part of this special format.
Serial number 4C7123A identifies a 400-series combo guitar from 1957, production number 123, in the special Model 450 format.
Rickenbacker 3/4 Guitar Serial Number
3/4-size Rickenbacker guitars use a special serial number format. There were 3 main formats: V###, V####, and ####A. In these formats, the first digit gives the last digit of the year.
Regular solidbody guitars switched to the transitional A-format in September 1959, while 3/4-size models kept their special formats until October 1960.
Rickenbacker Bass Serial Number
Period: 1954 to September 1959.
Some early Rickenbacker basses used the B#### format. The B identifies the instrument as a bass. Unlike the usual combo-guitar format, there are no model digits before the letter.
The first digit after B gives the year, and the remaining digits are the production number.
Rickenbacker Mandolin Serial Number
Period: 1954 to September 1959.
Some early Rickenbacker mandolins used the M### format. The M identifies the instrument as a mandolin.
The first digit after M gives the year, and the remaining digits are the production number.
Short Early Rickenbacker Serial Number
Some early Rickenbacker serial numbers use the shorter #C## format. Because this format is less common, it is best checked together with the model’s features.
There are a few other things to keep in mind when dating a Rickenbacker.
A replacement jack plate can cause confusion. Rickenbacker says a replacement plate can keep the original serial number only if the old plate, or what remains of it, is returned. Otherwise, the new plate gets a different serial number. So the number may be genuine even if the plate is not original to the guitar.
The serial number also does not reliably identify the original finish or exact model number. If a guitar has unusual features, replaced parts, or a missing plate, compare the serial number with the hardware and construction details.
If the serial number is missing, replaced, or does not match the expected format, use other features to help date the guitar. This is especially important with older Rickenbacker instruments.