How To Check Guitar Authenticity

As a guitar player, you are a beginner or have been in the game for some time. When you choose to invest your money in buying a guitar, you will find many brands in the market. The commonly known brands include Gibson, Fender, PRS, Ibanez, or any top-of-the-line brands in the game. So naturally, you you need to know how to check guitar authenticity.

Unfortunately, the market is filled with some cheap knock-off brands ready to make money. Therefore, one has to know how to check guitar authenticity before buying it, either new or pre-owned.

This is a problem for a long time for many guitarists. Many people prefer customized guitars because most are standard on how a guitar is supposed to be. So it pains a guitarist to find out that they paid so much for a counterfeit guitar. Therefore, we are going to look at a few aspects of guitar authenticity check.

Guitar authenticity checkpoints to note

Guitar shopping can be daunting. There are always so many options, models, and brands to choose from. This is especially true if you’re new to guitar playing. Buying a guitar without doing your research ahead of time could lead to buying a guitar that isn’t the best fit for your needs or one that’s too expensive for your budget.

Get the guitar sound samples from YouTube videos and online reviews. You can also get a specific guitar’s physical appearance from online sites.

Consult with fellow guitarists for opinions, and you would also bring along a friend while purchasing a guitar for a difference in opinion.

Contact and try to get the guitar image you are considering buying from the official websites for the relevant guitars.

Always consider buying from trusted sellers and vendors of the best guitar of your choosing, and for more proofing, you can always request authenticity info and proof from the sellers. As the buyer, you always have the upper hand when purchasing items.

How to spot a fake guitar

Just as a person can spot a fake currency due to the many years of studying real money, the same is also applicable to any other products in the market, including guitars. Therefore, it is possible to know how a guitar for an authentic brand would look like and spot a fake guitar.

Learning to spot a real guitar in the market is acquired by a person who has studied the genuine product. For example, knowing the building and designs produced by a given brand, the year when the said product was built, and the materials used.

Learning between authentic materials used and cheap material used, almost similar substitutes will give you the knowledge you need to move away from fake products.

There are different books and resources that have been published on getting a genuine guitar of a given brand. In the resources, one can source the manufacturer, model date, and its original condition details.

Another way to learn about the authenticity of a high-end guitar is by following reputable sellers and dealers. In addition, YouTube pages such as crimson guitars and stew mac will learn about different materials used on authentic products and the cheap imitation materials used by fakes.

It is also very possible to decipher a guitar serial number and find its authenticity.

How to Tell if Your Guitar is Real or Fake

With so many guitars available on the market today, it can be difficult to tell if your guitar is authentic.

While you may think of having a background in music (or perhaps just playing the guitar), you’ll quickly see that there are many different types of electric and acoustic guitars.

However, when it comes down to it, there are only two aspects that matter most: body size and headstock design.

The body size of an acoustic guitar is determined by the length, width and thickness of the neck. The shape of the headstock depends on whether you have a cutaway or not. These characteristics determine if your guitar is real or fake.

Factors that determine a guitar authenticity

Originality

A guitar that was entirely made from the factory, with all parts intact. From the beginning, it is good to note that some guitars may be customized with some features not belonging to the original instrument.

The guitar is a crafted piece of artwork, and it relies more on the science of its construction to produce the desired sound. Therefore, understanding the science behind its structure is the first step of choosing a good guitar product in the market and spotting a fake one.

Condition

When considering buying a guitar, you should adequately examine its physical properties, including paint strings tension. In addition, it would be best if you inspected for cracks in the body where the neck meets the body. Damages to the physical properties of a guitar decrease its value and ability to stay in tune.

Collectors grade

Collector-grade guitars and guitars that are in all original are what we are always looking to buy. In addition, they are of higher value as compared to instruments that have been repaired and modified.

The material used for construction

Guitars made of wood a greatly favored because of their capacity to effectively transport sound.

Chinese counterfeits

The market is flogged with fake counterfeits from China that have been perfected, that it becomes hard for a beginner to notice a phony, even in big brands like Gibson.

How to find the serial number of a guitar

Checking a guitar serial number is a quick and promising way to find the authenticity of a guitar. However, there are alternative ways of verifying the serial numbers, and the most common is checking through the manufacturer’s database.

The serial number will open a database where you will find the guitar’s description and its manufacturing date. We will discuss how to find serial numbers for a few known guitar brands.

Gibson

The serial number for most Gibson guitars can be found on the back of the headstock, and it follows a given dating pattern from the year an 8-digit dating code denoted 1975-1977 Gibson guitars, where the first two digits characterized the year of manufacturing:

06-1977

00-1976

99-1975

What each serial number for Gibson guitar means

In 1977, Gibson came up with a new serial pattern which was as follows YDDDYRRR. YY is the year of production. DDD the day of the year, and RRR is the factory ranking of the plant designation number.

A good example is before 1984 when the Kalamazoo factory closed; the RRR numbers denoting the manufacturing plant 001-499 indicated that the guitars were made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For RRR numbers 500-999 were manufactured in Nashville.

Since 1989 Gibson electrics have been made in Memphis and Gibson acoustics in Bozeman and Montana, RRR numbers each day at Bozeman factory may start as low as 300 and at Bozeman at 001.

70118277: the guitar was made in 1976 on the 11th day of the year and was the 277th guitar manufactured that day. Given that the year was before 1984, it was made in the Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in Michigan

82775502: the guitar was made in 1985; hence, after the closure of the Kalamazoo manufacturing plant, it was the 277th day of the year and was the second guitar manufactured that day.

In July 2005, the Gibson serial number was changed to a nine-digit serial number. In addition, an extra number was added in between for the format to look as follows; YDDDYBRRR.

A batch number was placed before the factory number, as it started at ‘0’ at the beginning of the day. However, once the RRR number denoting the manufacturing plant hit ‘699’, the batch number changed to ‘1.’There were some exceptions to this system.

The Les Paul Classic has a 5- or 6-digits serial number stamped in ink without the ‘MADE IN USA’ as seen in most of the originals.

Gibsons USA 2014 to the present date. The serial number does not indicate the specific day of manufacturing. Its format is as follows: YYRRRRRRR. New models for the coming year usually begin in the fall, so it is possible to have a 2016 model that was made in 2015.

What else to check on a Gibson guitar to determine the authenticity

It is also worth noting that a buyer should examine the fake Gibson brand used by counterfeit and painted on the headstock.

For some counterfeits imitating Gibsons, you will find a difference in the more pearl Gibson brand and the crown inlay.

When you check below the serial number for a genuine Gibson product, you will find it written in the USA. Fakes have the serial numbers either engraved too deep or written with too much ink. Note that Gibson never inked serial numbers on the Gibsons Les paul.

However, Gibsons have a solid bird, and You might spot some fake with a screw slot where the bridge ends.A real Gibson guitar has no scarf joints.

That is just a recap. When it comes to Gibson serial numbers, there are many more for Gibson acoustic and Gibson Memphis. For more information on the verification of the serial number, you can start from Gruhn’s guide, and it can be helpful.

Epiphone

It is another standard guitar model. You can find the he serial number for Epiphone on the F-hole for semi-hollow bodies. Inside the soundhole of an acoustic or at the back of the headstock.

Most models since 1993 have the serial number format as follows FYYMMRRR. F denotes the factory code YY denotes the year of manufacture (one digit for those made in the 90s), MM denotes the month of manufacture, and RRR is the ranking number, and it may be more or fewer digits. A good example from the official website S02031234 was issued in February 2003

Another serial number format used in most new models is FYYMRRRR, where the month is denoted by a letter. S19E1234, for example, was issued in May of 2019.For other exceptions, visit Gibson serial numbers page.

Fender

Fender serial numbers, like the rest, would be complex and will vary with the age, model, and location. Therefore, the serial numbers for the fender are in the following format.

• Four digits on the bridge of the guitar for years 1950-1954.
• Four to five figures on the neck plate of the guitar for years 1954-1963.
• We are beginning with L on the neck plate for the years 1963-1965.
• Six digits on the F neck plate for years 965-1976.

The company writes the serial number on the headstock. And starting with a letter and a seven-digit code for the years 1976 and as follows.

• Japan makes some of the fenders. And their serial numbers are located on the back of the neck where it meets the body or on the headstock.
• Fenders made in Mexico have serial numbers located on the back of the headstock, and the serial number starts with the letter’ M.’Fender serial numbers can be verified on the fenders database on their website.

Paul Reed Smith (PRS)

PRS  guitars will have their serial numbers located on the headstock or neck plate. The serial number format starts with a year prefix and some numbers after the year. For example, ‘1’ was used for the 1991 and 2001 models.

In 2008 PRS changed to a two-digit format system which made it easier to differentiate.To verify PRS serial numbers, visit the PRS website, which has a website with the serial numbers and the year of manufacture.

Ibanez

Ibanez guitars don’t follow a given range of serial numbers since they are manufactured from different countries in the world. Their serial numbers are always located on the back of the headstock. They vary depending on the location of the manufacturer.

Some have the serial numbers printed on the neck plate, on the soundhole, labeled on the last fret, or acoustic stamped on the inside the neck block. The serial numbers vary depending on country of manufacture and the corresponding year

Example of guitars made in japan from 2004 to date, their serial numbers will start with letter ‘F’ followed by the two-digit year and five-digit numbers, i.e. ‘F1512345’ shows that the guitar was made in 2015 by Fujigen.

For a Koren-made Ibanez, its serial number would start with one letter followed by a two-digit year, a two-digit month, and a four-digit manufacturer number. For more information on the serial numbers for Ibanez guitars, visit the Ibanez wiki.

Yamaha

This type of classical guitars and acoustic serial numbers are stamped inside the guitar or printed at the soundhole. Yamaha serial number format used date codes where a letter will match with the year and month numbers. For example, H-Z was representing 1-12.

Up to date, 15 different serial numbering formats start from 1941, each varying depending on the year of manufacture. The serial system used with these guitars was YM£££J. This was from 1991-1996, and the serial numbering started with 700. So an example of HN702 means H=2 1992 N=7 July; hence 702 is the second guitar made that month. The last letter on the serial number was an internal code.

Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker serial numbers are located at either bridge, jack plate, or neck plate.Beginning in 1954, they had a system where the guitars could be dated using serial numbers.

Until 1960 the format for the serial numbers was a six-character sequence indicating type model, last digit of the year, and production number. 4C8786, meaning Rickenbacker 400 series made in 1958.

In the years 1960-1986, there was a letter-number system for year and month and the serial number stamped on the jack plate.

Since 1998 to date, the serials have gotten a little easier. The last two digits of the year are found on the top of the jack [plate and the production number at the bottom of the jack plate.

For more information on Rickenbacker guitar’s serial numbers, you can visit Rickenbacker’s serial number decoder.

Gretsch

The serial number for the Gretsch guitar is located either on the top edge of the headstock, labeled inside the soundhole or on the inside back of the guitar.Gretsch guitars made from 1939-1965 had a systematic numbering.

Years 1967-the 1970s, and the serial number had the first one or two digits being the month followed by one or two-digit for the year starting with 7 for 1967

1973-1981 the serial numbers had the first digit for the month followed by one digit for the year, beginning with 3 for 1973. Sometimes they had a hyphen between the digit for the month and that for the year.

From 2003 to date it has been two-digit, year two-digit month followed by the production number.For more information on Gretsch guitars, serial numbers, visit Gretsch’s website.

ESP

The serial numbers for the ESP guitar are located either on the neck plate or the back of the headstock. Those with serial numbers on the headstock before 2000 have the serial number format as DDMMYNNN, with the last three digits being the production number.

For years 2000-2015, they used the sequence of FYYWWWDNN, the first to letters the factory code, followed by a two-digit year, two-digit week, day of the week, and a production number.

For years 2016 to date, they used the format of BNNNYYF; it starts with the brand, either E ES or ESP, followed by a production number year, then code.

Godin

Godin guitar’s serial numbers are located either in the soundhole or on the back of the headstock. One of the formats used was YYWWDRR. This denoted a two-digit year followed by production week and day of the week.

 For example, 05054169 means the fifth week 2005 production year on Thursday, and the 169 guitars made that week

For more information on Godin guitars, email info@godinguitars.com

Martin

Martin acoustic guitars have their serial numbers located on the neck block inside the guitar. They have easy serial numbers to trace. For example, in 1999, the last serial number used was 9876, so the first guitar to be made in 2000 would be 9877.

Thus, these acoustic guitars give you an easy time to check their authenticity.

Taylor

Taylor guitars will have a nine, ten-digit serial number, and it is located inside the soundhole

1993-1999 used the nine-digit serial number system, and its format is as follows YYMMDDSPP, which denotes the year, month, day, and product code.

January 2000-2009 used the 11 digits serial number with the format as follows YYYYMMDDSPP. From the year 2009 to date, they use the ten digits serial number. For more information on Taylor, guitars visit the Taylors support page.

What’s the Difference Between Acoustic and Electric Guitars?

The traditional distinction between acoustic and electric guitars is largely a myth. The two forms of acoustic guitars are almost identical, in that they both produce sound through air. However, there are some important differences between the two types of instruments.

Acoustic guitars are generally smaller than electric guitar models and have their pickups placed closer to the strings. They also tend to be cheaper overall because they’re less expensive to make and assemble.

Electric guitars usually have a larger body structure than acoustics, which makes them heavier and more expensive to make and assemble.

“What kind of guitar should I buy?”

Many new guitar buyers are confused when they hear the term “authentic.” They don’t know how to tell if their guitar is real or fake.

When you see a motorcycle, do you know what kind it is? When you see a car, do you know what makes it different from other ones on the road? Do you know what makes it a car and not another kind of vehicle? The same goes for guitars and guitars.

Guitars can be easily identified as authentic by looking at the neck, body style, and scale length. If these things are accurate then your guitar will be authentic.

Conclusion

Guitar players spend a lot of time, money, and effort to find their perfect instrument. It is important to take the time to do your research before you buy a guitar that is going to be a major investment. It can be daunting sorting through all the information that is out there

The information given above entailing different guitar brands and how to check their serial number. A buyer wishing to purchase a suitable guitar will verify the authenticity of the guitar before buying it. Though it is not a sure process, other factors are still the material and the design.

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