Decode Your
Serial Number
Every B.C. Rich serial tells a story — when it was forged, where, and which number it was off the line. Drop yours in below and we'll read it back to you.
Serial numbers · 2019 and newer
India — HYYMMNNNN: H identifies Harmony Musical Instruments; YY is the year, MM is the month, and NNNN is the production number for that month and year. Example: H26090001.
Korea / Indonesia — MFFYYNNNN: M is the month-code letter, FF is the factory code, YY is the year, and NNNN is the production number for that month and year. Example: A08260001. The month and factory tables below provide the existing code reference; unlisted factory codes are shown as unknown.
USA shop — YYMM1NNUS: YY is the year, MM is the month, and 1NN is the production code. 105 means guitar number 5 for that month and year; US identifies the US shop. Example: 2609105US.
Neal Moser — YYMMNNNN, optionally ending in M: YY is the year, MM is the month, and NNNN is the production number for that month and year. The M suffix identifies the Moser custom shop. Example: 26090001M. For an unmarked serial, select Neal Moser Custom Shop to confirm the intended format.
View earlier serial-number history and code tables
B.C. Rich has used six different serial-number schemes since distribution returned in 1974 — each shaped by who was building the guitars and how fast. Here's the full history, era by era.
When distribution came back to B.C. Rich in 1974, a system of serial number coding began using a 5-digit code (XXYYY) with the first 2 digits indicating the year and the last 3 indicating the production number. That would make the first guitar of 1974 to have been numbered 74000, followed by 74001, 74002, 74003, etc. Throughout the '70s, production numbers were low enough that the serial numbers pretty much reflect the year of manufacture.
In the late 70s as production grew, the serial numbers begin to get ahead of themselves since only 1000 numbers were available in a series. With production growing rapidly by 1980, the serial numbers had gotten about two to three years ahead. For example, a bass guitar that is documented to have been purchased in 1980 bore the serial number #82595. Although neck-through production never surpassed approximately 2200 guitars a year, as the '80s progressed, the serial numbers continued to get ahead of the actual year. By 1981 the numbers were about four years ahead. This gap remained fairly constant until Bernie Sr. turned the production over to Class Axe in 1989.
Bolt-neck guitars are less precise for the usual reasons. The serial number is stamped on a neck plate, and like every other company, when the guitar was being finished, someone grabbed a plate out of the box and put it on in no particular, precise or documented order. These do not follow the same XXYYY dating scheme as the neck thru models. If a guitar has a number of 89321, for example, it was probably built in 1987, but it could have been assembled a bit earlier or later than 1987.
If it is a USA model, it will say Made In The USA on the headstock just below or beside the B.C. Rich script logo. The serial numbers are a bit hard to date because there was no uniform way they were assigned a number at Bernie's original shop.
The Bolt On guitars serial numbers started with BC followed by five digits (BCXXXXX). Between 1989 and 1993 Class Axe took over production of B.C. Rich instruments and also used the BCXXXXX numbering scheme as well as RXXXXXX for its imported models. Class Axe did make some USA instruments of very good quality.
The USA bolt on guitars never followed the same serial number sequence as the neck thru models. Also keep in mind on the 2+3 five digit serial numbers, they got out of sequence in the early to mid 80s.
In the year 2000, they changed to the letters BO (Bolt On) and three digits (BOXXX), which was the actual production number, but there was no number stating the year the guitar was built. The import guitar models before November of 2000 have a serial number starting with the letter F; USA models do not.
In November of 2000 B.C. Rich implemented a new date stamp format for serial number coding of its imported models. This started on the January 2001 models. All B.C. Rich models, both imported and USA handmades, implement this same year time date stamp and guitar production number format:
- 1st digitYear of manufacture
- 2nd digitMeans nothing — until double-digit years come around again
- 3rd digitQuarter of manufacture
- Digits 4–8Production number
Current US-made B.C. Rich serial numbers follow the same year and guitar production number format. Example: serial number #24123 was the 123rd guitar made in 2004.
The numbering system is as follows. Each factory is given a number. Numbers were devised for the factory, month of production, year, etc. WMI's number is 08. The reference tables below decode the month code letter, the factory number, and the year code.
The Code Tables
The modern stamp is built from four parts — a month-code letter, a factory number, a two-digit year, and the production run. Here's the full key.
| A | January |
| C | February |
| E | March |
| F | April |
| G | May |
| H | June |
| J | July |
| K | August |
| L | September |
| M | October |
| N | November |
| P | December |
| Factory / Region | No. |
|---|---|
| Fine China | 00 |
| Sejung China | 01 |
| HW China | 02 |
| Great China | 03 |
| Daewon China | 04 |
| Taiki China | 05 |
| Orient China | 06 |
| Huakai China | 07 |
| World Korea | 08 |
| Fine Korea | 09 |
| SW Korea | 10 |