Rickenbacker Serial Numbers
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The serial numbers for Rickenbacker guitars and basses can be found engraved on the output jack, neck plate, or bridge. It usually has two separate numbers: a date code consisting of two digits which may be letters or numbers, and a number. The number is a serial number for the year.
1960-1996
First letter denotes year. Second letter denotes month.
| Letter | Year | Month |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1961 | January |
| B | 1962 | February |
| C | 1963 | March |
| D | 1964 | April |
| E | 1965 | May |
| F | 1966 | June |
| G | 1967 | July |
| H | 1968 | August |
| I | 1969 | September |
| J | 1970 | October |
| K | 1971 | November |
| L | 1972 | December |
| M | 1973 | January |
| N | 1974 | February |
| O | 1975 | – |
| P | 1976 | March |
| Q | 1977 | April |
| R | 1978 | May |
| S | 1979 | June |
| T | 1980 | July |
| U | 1981 | August |
| V | 1982 | September |
| W | 1983 | October |
| X | 1984 | November |
| Y | 1985 | December |
| Z | 1986 | – |
After 1986, Rickenbacker serial numbers go to a numerical year indicator; the first number indicates year. The same letter system is used for the month.
| Number | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1987 |
| 1 | 1988 |
| 2 | 1989 |
| 3 | 1990 |
| 4 | 1991 |
| 5 | 1992 |
| 6 | 1993 |
| 7 | 1994 |
| 8 | 1995 |
| 9 | 1996 |
1997-1999
It appears that for 1997-1999 and perhaps into 2000, a different format was used. The month code started coming first, followed by a number for the year. The numbers are shown in the table below.
| Number | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1997 |
| 1 | 1998 |
| 2 | 1999 |
| 3 | 2000 |
1999-Present
Sometime in 1999, Rickenbacker started switching to a slightly different system. In the new system, the lone number represents the last two digits of the year. 1999 becomes 99, 2004 becomes 04, and so on. The first two numbers of the number part represent the week of the year that the instrument was made.
For example, take the number 99 28926. The 99 indicates that the instrument was made in 1999 and the 28926 tells us that it was made during the 28th week of that year.
