Where is the serial number on a Taylor guitar?

On the label inside the sound hole. On most Taylors it is printed on the label; on some newer models it is stamped or laser-etched.

How do you read a 10-digit Taylor serial number?

The first digit is the factory (1 is El Cajon California, 2 is Tecate Mexico). The year is split across the 2nd and 7th digits. Digits 3 and 4 are the month, digits 5 and 6 are the day, and digits 8 to 10 are the daily production sequence. Taylor's own example, 1107064001, is the first guitar built at El Cajon on 6 July 2014.

How do I date a Taylor made before 1993?

Before 1993 the serial does not encode a date; it is a running number dated from Taylor's published ranges. Taylor describe early record keeping as spotty, so a pre-1993 year is an estimate. Guitars from 1974 had no serial number at all.

Does a Taylor serial number tell you the model?

Only the series family, from 1993 onward, via a single series digit. It does not give the exact model, which is normally printed on the same label.

Taylor Serial Number Lookup

Q: Why does my Taylor serial give two possible years?

Serials between 10109 and 10146 appear in both the 1975 and the 1990 published ranges. 1990 is far more likely, because only around forty Taylors were built in 1975. Telling them apart requires inspecting the guitar itself.

Free tool · Bros Guitars, New York City

What year is my Taylor?

Enter the serial number from the label inside the sound hole. Works for every Taylor from 1975 to today, including the 10-digit format most charts get wrong.

This is a Model 410 from the early 1990s

How Taylor serial numbers work

Taylor has used five different systems since 1974. Which one applies to your guitar depends entirely on how many digits the serial has, so count them first.

10 digits — November 2009 to today

This is the format people get wrong, and it is worth understanding even if the tool above just did it for you. The serial encodes the exact build date, but the year is split across two positions that are not next to each other.

1st	Factory. 1 is El Cajon, California. 2 is Tecate, Mexico.
2nd	First digit of the year.
3rd & 4th	Month.
5th & 6th	Day of the month.
7th	Second digit of the year.
8th to 10th	Which guitar it was off the line that day.

Taylor’s own worked example is 1107064001: the first guitar built at El Cajon on 6 July 2014. Read the year as digits two and three and you get 2011, which is wrong by three years. Read digit two and digit seven and you get 2014.

11 digits — January 2000 to October 2009

Much more straightforward. The first four digits are the year, then two for the month, two for the day, one for the series, and two for the daily sequence.

9 digits — 1993 to the end of 1999

Two digits for the year, two for the month, two for the day, one for the series, two for the sequence.

3 to 5 digits — 1974 to 1992

Before 1993 the serial does not contain a date at all. It is a running number, and dating relies on Taylor’s published ranges. Taylor are candid that record keeping in the early years was spotty, so a pre-1993 answer is a close estimate rather than a fact. Guitars from 1974 left the factory with no serial number at all.

There is one genuine collision worth knowing about: serials between 10109 and 10146 appear in both the 1975 and the 1990 published ranges. In practice 1990 is far more likely, because only around forty Taylors were built in 1975. Telling them apart takes a look at the actual guitar.

The Model 410, 1991 and 1992

The 410 ran on its own 4- sequence that has nothing to do with the numbers above. Serials 001 to 1121 are 1991 and 1122 to 3152 are 1992. Tick the box in the tool if this is you, otherwise the ordinary range table will hand you a wrong year.

Common questions

Where is the serial number on a Taylor?

Look at the label inside the sound hole. On most Taylors it is printed on the label itself. On some newer models it is stamped or laser-etched instead.

My serial has letters in it. What now?

Taylor’s main sequences are numeric. Letters usually mean a limited run, a custom order, a ukulele or an instrument built outside the standard line. Send us a photo of the label and we will date it by hand.

Does the serial tell me the model?

Only partly. From 1993 onward one digit indicates the series family, which the tool shows when it can. It does not give the exact model. The model number is usually printed on the same label.

Does the year tell me what it is worth?

Not on its own. Condition, model, wood, originality and whether it has been repaired all matter more than the year. If you want a real number, we appraise Taylors free.

Is this the same as the Martin decoder?

Same idea, different rules. If you have a Martin, use our Martin serial number lookup instead. The two brands number their instruments in completely different ways.

Bring it in

We are at 316 East 84th Street in Manhattan, open Monday to Friday from noon to 8pm and Saturday from 10am to 8pm. We buy, sell, consign, set up and repair acoustic guitars, and we are happy to look at yours whether or not you are selling. Call 646-559-8771.