guitarserials

Ibanez

Ibanez has been made at several factories since the 1970s: Fujigen (Japan, F-prefix), plus Korean (C-prefix) and Indonesian (I-prefix) production. The Japanese F-prefix format changed in 1997 — from 1987 to 1996 a single digit encoded the year, after 1997 two digits do. Pre-F Japanese instruments (1975–1988) used a letter-month prefix that clashed with the later F-prefix and is matched first.

Sources 2 Communitys view all

Decode a Ibanez serial

Quick pick

Supported formats

Japan (Fujigen)

Fujigen F-prefix (Japan)

1987+
Example F9825445 Try it →

Length distinguishes the era. 6 digits (1987–1996): the single digit after F is the year (7=1987, 8=1988, 9=1989, 0=1990, 1=1991, …, 6=1996). 7 digits (1997+): the first two digits after F are the 2-digit year.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Earlier decoders assumed a 2-digit year in all F-prefix cases, producing nonsense decodes like F320327 → 2032 for a 1993 instrument. The length-branch fix is authoritative per Fujigen production records.
  • F + 8 digits is not a documented Fujigen format; previously accepted here, now rejected. If you have a confirmed 8-digit F-prefix Ibanez, please open an issue with the instrument details.
1 less common variant

Pre-F letter-month Japan (1975–1988)

1975–1988
Example A790665 Try it →

A single letter encoding the month (A = January, B = February, …, L = December), followed by the 2-digit year (75–88) and a 4-digit monthly sequence.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Only claimed when the 2-digit year is in the 75–88 range — otherwise it would shadow the Korean C or Indonesian I prefixes (which use arbitrary sequences).
  • Must be matched before the F-prefix so "F" letter-month (June) doesn't also match the Fujigen F-prefix.

Indonesia

I-prefix Indonesia (Cor-Tek)

Varies
Example I160600221 Try it →

I followed by 9 digits = YY + MM + 5-digit sequence (e.g. I160600221 = June 2016, #221). 7 or 8 digit variants fall back to year-unknown.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Month must be 01-12 for the 9-digit branch to decode year; otherwise the serial falls back to year-unknown.
  • Production numbers 00001-49999 are acoustics; 50000-99999 are electric guitars and basses (shared convention across all three Indonesian factories).
2 less common variants

K-prefix Indonesia (Kwo Hsiao)

Varies
Example K160600221 Try it →

K followed by 9 digits = YY + MM + 5-digit sequence (e.g. K160600221 = June 2016, #221, Kwo Hsiao Co., Ltd.). Same layout as the I-prefix Cor-Tek format but a different Indonesian factory.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Month must be 01-12 for year decoding; otherwise falls back to year-unknown.
  • Same acoustic/electric production-range split (00001-49999 = acoustics, 50000-99999 = electrics) as the Cor-Tek and Samick Indonesian factories.

SI-prefix Indonesia (Samick)

Varies
Example SI4110076 Try it →

SI + 7 digits = Y + MM + PPPP (single-digit-year 2000s convention, e.g. SI4110076 = November 2004). SI + 9 digits = YY + MM + PPPPP (2-digit year, same layout as the Cor-Tek I-prefix). Samick's Indonesian plant reused the YMMPPPP and YYMMPPPPP conventions from its Korean operation.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Month must be 01-12 for year decoding; otherwise falls back to year-unknown.
  • Single-digit year form (7 digits after SI) maps 0-9 to 2000-2009 — Samick Indonesia production began in the 2000s, so there is no pre-2000 ambiguity.

Korea

C-prefix Korea (Cort)

Varies
Example C1234567 Try it →

C followed by 6–8 digits. Cort-factory Korea production. Year encoding varies by era; we match the format but leave the year undecoded.

2 less common variants

S-prefix Korea (Samick, 1990–1995)

1990–1995
Example S4110076 Try it →

S + Y + MM + PPPP (7 digits after S). Y is the last digit of the year (0 = 1990, 1 = 1991, …, 5 = 1995). MM is the month (01-12). Example S4110076 = November 1994, #76.

Gotchas & format-specific sources
  • Gated tightly on the Samick window (Y ≤ 5); Samick stopped making Ibanez after 1995.

W-prefix Korea (World Musical Instrument Co.)

Varies
Example W02Y12345 Try it →

W + YY + M + RRRR (up to 8 digits after W). YY is the 2-digit year, M is the month (1-9 = Jan-Sep, X = Oct, Y = Nov, Z = Dec). Example W02Y12345 = November 2002.

Where to find your serial

Ibanez serial locations depend on the factory. Most Japanese and Korean/Indonesian production uses the back of the headstock; some archtops and basses use a neck-joint stamp.

Sources

Note on source quality: Ibanez does not publish an official serial-number decoder (per their own support FAQ: "Ibanez does not manage models by serial number and does not disclose serial number information to the public"). Our rules are derived from the longest-standing community references below, cross-verified against dated instruments and Fujigen production records.

Every format rule on this page traces back to at least one of the sources above. If you spot an error or have an additional authoritative source, see the methodology.