Serial Number Lookup › Taylor
Taylor Serial Number Lookup: 9, 10 and 11-Digit Formats
Taylor encodes the exact build date in every serial number, which is a gift once you know the layout. The catch is that Taylor has used three layouts since 1993, and the current one hides the year in two non-adjacent digits. Count the digits first; that tells you which system you are reading.
Skip the counting. Paste your serial into the free Mbit serial number lookup and it identifies the format, factory and build date for you.
November 2009–Present: The 10-Digit Format
This is the one that fools people. The year is split: its first digit sits in position 2 and its second digit in position 7.
| Digits | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Factory: 1 = El Cajon, California; 2 = Tecate, Mexico |
| 2 and 7 | Two-digit year, read together |
| 3–4 | Month |
| 5–6 | Day |
| 8–10 | Build sequence that day |
1 1 07 06 4 001 → factory 1 (El Cajon),
year 14 (digits 2 and 7), month 07, day 06: the first guitar
built in El Cajon on July 6, 2014.
2000–October 2009: The 11-Digit Format
For the 2000s Taylor spelled the year out in full: the first four digits are the year, digits 5–6 the month, digits 7–8 the day, digit 9 a series code and the last two digits the production sequence. A serial starting 2007 is simply a 2007 guitar.
1993–1999: The 9-Digit Format
The first two digits are the year (93 through 99), followed by month and day, a series digit and the day's production position. The series digit separated the lines: 0 for 300 and 400 Series, 1 for 500 Series through Presentation, 3 for Baby models.
Before 1993 Taylor used shorter sequential numbers. Records for those early years are thinner, and dating a pre-1993 Taylor precisely is best done with Taylor's own registry. I would rather tell you that than pretend a chart can do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I read a 10-digit Taylor serial?
Digit 1 is the factory, digits 2 and 7 together are the year, 3–4 the month, 5–6 the day, 8–10 the sequence.
Why is the year split across two digits?
Taylor's 2009 redesign kept the serial at ten digits while encoding factory, full date and sequence. The split year is the price.
How were Taylors serialized before 2009?
1993–1999 used 9 digits starting with the year; 2000–2009 used 11 digits starting with the full four-digit year.
Where is the serial number?
On the neck block inside the body, visible through the soundhole.