PRS Serial Number Lookup: Year Prefix and Production Ranges
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PRS serial numbers look simple, one digit and then a number, but that first digit only gives the last digit of the year. A serial starting with 7 could be 1987, 1997 or 2007. The trick is the sequential build number that follows: PRS production volume grew steadily, so each year owns a distinct range. Match the number to the range and the year falls out.
Skip the table. The free Mbit serial number lookup carries the full PRS production range table and resolves the decade for you.
1985–2007: Single-Digit Year Prefix
7 34890 → prefix 7 plus build #34,890, which lands in the 1997 range below. A 1987 guitar would sit near #2,000 and a 2007 near #105,000, so the ranges rarely leave room for doubt.
| Year | Build number range | Year | Build number range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1–400 | 1997 | 29,501–34,600 |
| 1986 | 401–1,700 | 1998 | 34,601–39,900 |
| 1987 | 1,701–4,200 | 1999 | 39,901–44,700 |
| 1988 | 4,201–7,600 | 2000 | 44,701–50,100 |
| 1989 | 7,601–10,100 | 2001 | 50,101–58,400 |
| 1990 | 10,101–12,900 | 2002 | 58,401–67,200 |
| 1991 | 12,901–15,500 | 2003 | 67,201–76,000 |
| 1992 | 15,501–18,200 | 2004 | 76,001–84,800 |
| 1993 | 18,201–20,800 | 2005 | 84,801–93,600 |
| 1994 | 20,801–22,900 | 2006 | 93,601–102,400 |
| 1995 | 22,901–24,600 | 2007 | 102,401–111,200 |
| 1996 | 24,601–29,500 |
These ranges are approximate at the edges. A guitar finished in the first weeks of January can carry the prior year's prefix, and PRS themselves date instruments by the year stamped in the control cavity when there is any doubt.
2008–Present: Two-Digit Year Prefix
From 2008 the ambiguity disappeared: Core serials start with the two-digit year followed by the sequential number. A serial starting 15 is a 2015 instrument, 23 is 2023, and so on.
PRS SE Serial Numbers
SE models are built in Korea and Indonesia and follow their own scheme: a letter prefix tied to the production year, followed by digits. The Maryland production ranges above do not apply to SE instruments. The lookup tool estimates SE years from the letter prefix, and I flag those results as estimates because SE serial records are thinner than Core records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I date a pre-2008 PRS?
Read the first digit as the last digit of the year, then match the remaining build number against the production ranges above to pick the decade.
What changed in 2008?
PRS moved to a two-digit year prefix, so the year reads directly off the serial.
Do SE models use the same system?
No. SE serials use a letter prefix tied to the year and their own numbering. Core ranges do not apply.
Where is the serial on a PRS?
Back of the headstock on set-neck Core and SE models, on the neck plate for bolt-on models like the CE.
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