Dating Ibanez Guitars & Basses

Ibanez Japanese

Serial #'s

Ibanez Korean

Serial #'s

Ibanez Chinese

Serial #'s

Ibanez Indonesian

Serial #'s

Dating Japanese Ibanez Guitars

Prior to 1975 Ibanez guitars did not include serial numbers or manufacture date registration indentification. There were some from 1974 that had serial numbers but unfortunately those were not cataloged. Officially the Ibanez serial number period started in September of 1975. Prior to 1976 Ibanez guitars consisted primarily of copies of US guitars. Some of the early electrics were strange body designs actually sold in department stores. By 1976 Ibanez had embarked on their own styles and models and had put the "law suit" copies behind them. Due to the need to include a warranty and the need to identify these instruments by date the serial dating system was put into play.

1975 - 1986

1 Letter + 6 Digits

Letter = Month
First Two Digits = Year
Last Four Digits = Production Run Number
Example: (Ex: D794827 = April, 1979 #4827)

MONTH		YEAR
A = Jan		75 = 1975
B = Feb		76 = 1976
C = Mar		77 = 1977
D = Apr		78 = 1978
E = May		79 = 1979
F = Jun		80 = 1980
G = Jul		81 = 1981
H = Aug		82 = 198
I = Sep		83 = 1983
J = Oct		84 = 1984
K = Nov		85 = 1985
L = Dec		86 = 1986

1987 - 1996

1 Letter + 6 Digits

FYPPPPP (F = Factory / Y = Year / PPPPP = Run Number)
F = Fugijen Factory in Japan
I = Iida Gakki in Nagoya
H or T = Terada Musical Instrument Co. Ltd. in Nagano

NUMBER		MONTH
00001–05000		January
05001-10000		February
10001-15000		March
15001-20000		April
20001-25000		May
25001-30000		June
30001-35000		July
35001-40000		August
40001-45000		September
45001-50000		October
50001-55000		November
55001-60000		December

1997 - October 2004

1 Letter + 7 digits

FYYPPPPP (F = Factory / YY = Year / PPPPP = Run Number)
F = FujiGen Gakki in Nagano
YY = Last numbers of Year
PPPPP = Run Number
* Production months use the same table as 1987-1996

NUMBER		MONTH
00001–05000		January
05001-10000		February
10001-15000		March
15001-20000		April
20001-25000		May
25001-30000		June
30001-35000		July
35001-40000		August
40001-45000		September
45001-50000		October
50001-55000		November
55001-60000		December

1998 – 2020

1 Letter + 6 digits

FYYPPPP (F = Factory / YY = Year / PPPP = Run Number)
T = Terada Musical Instrument Co. Ltd. in Nagano
YY = Last numbers of Year
PPPP = Run Number

November 2004 – 2020

1 Letter + 7 digits

FYYPPPPP (F = Factory / YY = Year / PPPPP = Run Number)
F = FujiGen Gakki in Nagano
YY = Last numbers of Year
PPPPP = Run Number
* From November 2004, the serial number does not represent the year of production, but the model year.

NUMBER		MONTH
00001–02999		November
03000-05999		December
06000-08999		January
09000-11999		Febuary
12000-14999		March
15000-17999		April
18000-20999		May
21000-23999		June
24000-26999		July
27000-29999		August
30000-32999		September
33000-		Octobber

2005 – 2020

1 Letter + 5 digits

LYYMPP (L = Month / YY = Year / M=Model # / PP = Run Number)
Letter = Month
First Two Digits = Year
Third Digit = Model
Last Two Digits = production number for that month

* Models with this format are assumed manufactured by Sugi Musical Instruments Ltd.

MONTH
A = January	B = Febuary	C = March
D = April	E = May	F = June
G = July	H = August	I = September
J = October	K = November	L = December

2016 – 2020

2 letters + 6 digits

IGYYMMPP (IG = Month / YY = Year / MM=Month / PP = Run Number)
IG = Ibanez Guitar Development Center
YY = Year
MM = Month (1=Jan , 12=Dec)
Last Two Digits = production number for that year

* These serial numbers are handwritten on the back of the headstock. (IGDC) is a facility that carries out research and development for Ibanez guitars