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Serial numbers
DATING EPIPHONE GUITARS AND MANDOLINS
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Epiphone serial number date decoder (v2.0)
Enter only the serial number.
(No type or model)
For example: EE 21234 or W0719052
Enter only the serial number.(No type or model)
For example: EE 21234 or W0719052
Epihone history in short.
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Anastasios Stathopoulos born in 1863, was a Greek luthier who started a mandolin and violin company in 1873 in Pellana, Greece. In 1903 he emigrated with his wife to New York. As luthier he started a year later a company that mainly produced mandolins. The company ran well, and therefore he took the Italian professional Henry cappielo employed. After the death of Anastasios in 1915, his son Epaminondas (Epi) take control over the company. Under his management the company grows to one of the biggest of its kind. A few years later, Epaminondas opens a factory where mainly banjos were made. In 1924 he registered the brand name Epiphone, a combination of his own name (Epi) with the Greek word for sound (phone). Shortly thereafter, Epi buys the banjo company Favoran and introduces the banjo Epiphone Recording line. Because of their quality and elegant design, it will be a great success. Due to the success of the banjo Recording line, a Recording line for guitars was also established in 1928 and a full line of f-hole archtop guitars was introduced in 1931. There are 12 models, including the top models: Broadway, Triumph and DeLuxe. Epiphone has been competing with Gibson for some time and with the introduction of the Epiphone Emperor in 1935, dealt a serious blow. Epiphone introduced the Electar series in 1937, an electric guitar with an adjustable pickup. Epaminondas dies in 1943 and the business is continued by his two sons Orpheus (Orphie) and Frixo. The cooperation between the two brothers is going badly and the company is going through hard times in the post-war years. By the mid-1950s, Epiphone is still making very few instruments. |
In 1957, Epiphone is sold to CMI, Gibson's parent company, for $20,000.00.
A full line of newly designed acoustic and electric guitars is launched in 1958.
In 1960, Epiphone's production moved to the Gibson plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
At the beginning of 1970 the production under license from Gibson moved from the USA to Japan. From 1983 there is also produced in Korea and then in 1995 also in Indonesia. In 2004, Gibson opened a factory in Qingdao, China for the production of Epiphone guitars. Although the vast production of Epiphone guitars takes place in these countries, some more exclusive models are still being made in the USA.  Epaminondas Stathopoulos |
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Serial numbers
The stamped serial number can consist of a series of numbers, or letter(s) and numbers. Only numbers For an eleven digit serial number, the encoding is as follows: Example: 11051500160 The first two digits are the last 2 digits of the year. (11) The next two digits represent the month. (05) The 5th and 6th digit represent the factory code.. (15) (See list numbered factory codes) The last 5 digits form the series sequence number. Serial number 11051500160 is the 160th guitar built in May 2011 at the factory of Qingdao in China. (Since 2004 Epiphone guitars have been produced in China) Five digit serial numbers. Five digits with a space after the first digit and custom shop on the back of the headstock, applied from 1990 to 1999. The first digit is the last digit of the production year, the following four digits are the serial number. Five digits no space after the first digit were used from 1951 to 1956 and from 1961 to 1967 for both acoustic and electric models. Six digit serial numbers From 1961 to early 1970, Epiphone used 6-digit serial numbers in the Gibson serial number line. However, many serial numbers were duplicated during this period, making the exact production year difficult to trace. It is certain that the models with a 6 digit serial number starting with 0 were produced in 1967. Seven digit serial numbers do not have a factory code. Here is the first digit the last year of the decade. The 2nd and 3rd numbers represent the month. These were manufactured in Korea by Samick between 1984 and 1995. Eight and nine digit serial numbers without a factory code. These were used respectively from 1990 and 1988 and also manufactured by Samick in Korea. Letter(s) and numbers One letter five digits This combination was applied to the Elite/Elitist models. The letter indicates the factory code and the first digit is the last digit of the year (since 2002). The factory code can be an F or a T here. (See list Factory code letter) Example: Serial number T32222 is the 2222th guitar of 2003 built in the factory of Terada Gakki Seisakusyo, Japan. One letter six digits The letter indicates the factory code and the first and second digit are the last two digits of the year. Example: Serial number Z051234 is the 1234th guitar built in 2005 at the Zaozhuang Saehan factory in China. (Between 2001 and 2010 only 1 digit was used for the production year) Two letters five digits The letters indicate the factory code and the first digit is the last digit of the year. Example: Serial number CI21234 is the 1234th guitar built in 2002 at the Cort, Indonesia factory. One letter seven digits The letter indicates the factory code and the first digit is the last digit of the year. The 3rd and 4th digits represent the month. The last 4 digits form the series sequence number. Because the year is only represented by 1 digit, guitars with this coding from the 80s, 90s or a decade of 2000. (depending on the factory code) Example: Serial number S6031234 is the 1234th guitar built in 1986, 1996 or 2006 at the Samick factory in Korea. Two letters six digits The letter indicates the factory code and the next two digits are the last two digits of the year. The second letter (fourth character) stands for the month. (A = January, B = February, etc.) The last 4 digits form the series sequence number Example: Serial number R04G0123 is the 123th guitar of July 2004, built in the Peerless, Korea factory. One letter eight digits The letter indicates the factory code, the next two digits are the last two digits of the year. The 3rd and 4th digits represent the month. The last 4 digits form the series sequence number. Example: C99040233 is the 233rd guitar of April 1999, built in the Cort factory, Korea. (This coding method was used until 2010) Two letters seven digits The letter indicates the factory code, the next two digits are the last two digits of the year. The second letter (fourth character) stands for the month. (A = January, B = February, etc.) The last 5 digits form the series sequence number. Example: S07C00122 is the 122th guitar of March 2004, built at the Samick factory in Korea. (This coding method was used until 2010) Two letters eight digits The 2 letters indicate the factory code, the next two digits are the last two digits of the year. The 5th and 6th digits represent the month. The last 4 digits form the series sequence number. Example: SI02060234 is the 234th guitar of June 2002, built at the Samick factory in Cileungsi near Bogor, Indonesia. Two letter nine digits This coding is the same as the coding of two letter eight digits with the difference that here is 5 digits for it sequence number are used. Japan The acoustic guitars from Epiphone, which were manufactured by Matsumoku in Japan from 1970 to 1987, are not reliable serial numbering system, but can be approximately dated by color and inscription from the Epiphone label. Blue label 1970-1975 The first blue labels that were used were leftover labels from the Kalamazoo factory. In the bottom left corner of these labels is printed "Union Made" and stamped, "Made in Japan". Until supplies ran out, they were used from 1970 until the beginning of 1971. Some of these first labels do not include Made in Japan or Union Made. After supplies ran out, new blue labels were used where in the lower right corner "Made in Japan" is printed. Brown or white "Lincolnwood" label 1976-1979 The Lincolnwood label was also used for the acoustic guitars of the Taiwanese "Ep" series from 1979-1980. These labels in the bottom right corner say, 'Made in Taiwan'. From 1980 to 1987 a mottled label was used. China In 2004 Gibson opened a factory in Qingdao, China, which produces Epiphone guitars. No labels have been used here, but stickers with "Made in China" are glued to the neck of the guitars. |
If you are unsure whether the serial number corresponds with the year of manufacture, you can do a potmeter-check
with an electric model.
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