Serial number dating / Martin
Martin serial number lookup
Find the year a Martin was built, read from Martin’s own numbering scheme.
Can't read a digit? Type ? in its place. Looked-up serials are kept, never tied to you. How it works
Type the serial or code from the instrument. We read it as you type.
Cross-check with a pot code
The number stamped on a potentiometer inside the guitar. It dates the part, not the whole instrument.
Example Martin serials and how they read
Made-up serials in each of Martin’s formats, read by the dater above.
| Serial | Reads as | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1600000 | 2012 | Main flat-top series (year-end table), USA |
| 2200000 | 2018 | Main flat-top series (year-end table), USA |
How Martin serials date
- One continuous serial series since 1898, dated to the exact year by Martin's own year-end table
More on Martin serial numbers
Where this comes from
We date a Martin against Martin's own published year-end serial table, one continuous series since 1898, read the same way; we do not retype that table here. The source is Martin's official serial-number chart.
Worked example. A serial around 1,600,000 falls in Martin's 2012 band, at high confidence, because the number is a running count tied to a year.
A Martin number is a production count, not a date code: the first digits are not the year, and the ukuleles, Backpacker and travel models run their own sequences.
Where to find the serial
Stamped on the neck block inside the body, visible through the soundhole.
How sure is it
Every result carries its confidence. Treat the year as a strong guide, not proof: a serial can be replaced, a neck and body can be from different years, and reissues copy old numbering. For anything that matters, confirm the year against the neck date, the pot codes and Martin's official serial-number chart.
We also check the serial against the millions of listings we track and show whether that exact number has been advertised before, where, and at what price.
Other brands
This is one of many brands the serial number dater covers.