And even they are not sure what the serial numbers mean. As a result, they are lost!ĮSP has confirmed that they did not keep a good tracking system in the early days. This blaze destroyed a portion of the factory, but also the serial number records that they did have. In the late 1990s, the ESP factory in Japan experienced an accidental fire. Part of the reason for the lack of information was due to a factory fire. If you have an older ESP, you may not get the information you seek. This is when ESP got serious about their codes and kept things uniform.Īs was mentioned earlier, ESP didn’t keep good records of serial numbers on early guitars. Guitars made after the year 2000 all seem to have the codes on the back of the headstocks. Some other places they put factory codes were the neck joint, or heel.įor bolt on necks, you may get lucky and have a plate with the serial number punched into it. If you can’t find your serial number, you might check there. This seems very common with neck through models. But there were some that had the numbers placed under the pickups. This seems to be the common place for them. Most of them had serial numbers placed on the back of the headstock. Have guitars that need decoding from another manufacturer? We have more tools here:ĮSP guitars made before the year 2000 had the serial numbers placed in many different places. You can find out all you need to know, even the batch number! If you put your detective skills into action, you will find what you are looking for! If you have a newer instrument, then your serial number will be beneficial. Some even left the factory without any serial numbers at all!īut at some point, ESP got it together and started to keep proper records of their guitars. Guitars seem to have been given random codes that didn’t mean much at the time.
There isn’t much information on older ESP guitars, as the records were not clear. If you can decode the serial number, you can also tell if it’s an authentic guitar. Then they are applied before they leave the factory. These numbers are assigned to each instrument they make. They are factory codes given to guitars to signify manufacturing date and location. What are ESP Serial Numbers?ĮSP guitar serial numbers are unique codes. But it’s also a great way to tell if the instrument is real or fake! This is important when planning on buying a used ESP guitar. This is a great way to find out more information. In this Killer Rig article, we are going to look at their serial numbers and see what they mean. Because of their quality, players collect them, as each one has specific features.īut how can you tell where they are made or even their age? This is where ESP serial number decoding becomes handy! They are known for making some amazing metal guitars.