Where to Find the Serial Number on a Epiphone Guitar
Printed in gold, silver, or black stamped script directly beneath the tuning machines on the back of the headstock.
For hollowbody Casino, Sheraton, and acoustic models, look inside the upper or lower F-hole for the rectangular blue/orange paper label.
Epiphone Serial Number Formats & Historical Dating Cheat-Sheet
| Production Era | Serial Format | Decoding Rule / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern All-Numeric 11-12 Digits (2008–Present) | YYMMFFPPPPP (e.g. 19081523456) | YY=Year (19=2019), MM=Month (08=August), FF=Factory code (15=Qingdao), followed by production sequence. | 19081523456 -> Made in Aug 2019 at Qingdao Facility |
| Letter Prefix System (2000–2010s) | FF + YYMM + XXXX (e.g. EE08051234) | EE=Qingdao China, SJ=Saein, SI=Samick Indonesia, U=Unsung Korea, followed by 2-digit year and month. | EE08051234 -> Qingdao Factory (May 2008) |
| Korean Golden Era (1990s) | F + YMM + XXXX (e.g. S9041234) | S=Samick, U=Unsung, P=Peerless Korea, followed by single-digit year and month. | S9041234 -> Samick Korea (April 1999) |
| Epiphone Japan / Elitist | F or T + digits (e.g. F001234, T40123) | F=FujiGen Gakki, T=Terada Gakki Japan with nitrocellulose/poly finishes and USA Gibson pickups. | F001234 -> FujiGen Japan (2000) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Dating & Authenticating Epiphone
Where are modern Epiphone guitars made?
Since 2002, Gibson operates its own dedicated Epiphone manufacturing plant in Qingdao, China, producing the "Inspired by Gibson" collection, alongside partner factories in Indonesia.
What makes Peerless or Korean Epiphones special?
Korean Epiphones produced by Samick, Unsung, and Peerless in the 1990s and early 2000s have gained a strong reputation for outstanding wood selection, resonant bodies, and vintage-correct neck carves.
Explore Epiphone Market Prices & Buying Advice
Knowing your guitar's build year is the first step in determining its resale value. Read our comprehensive 2026 buying guide and valuation tables to see current market trends for Epiphone.