How accurate are the SE serial numbers?

tdroid

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You can see how the serial numbers for all these guitars are CTCH, which is supposed to mean 2024. However, you can clearly see that some of these guitars are 2025 models (you can tell by the lamp shade knobs). What makes things stranger, is that some of these 2025 models have serial numbers that are lower than the 2024 models.

How can we tell what model our guitar is, if the particular model looked identical from one year to another?
 
The Serial Numbers Are 100% Accurate. The Real Question Is At What Serial Number Did Things Possibly Change. I Say Find A Guitar You Like, Buy It, Play It And Make Music. If You Are Not Happy, Return It And Try Again. New Parts/Old Parts - Who Knows What You May Prefer? You Never Know Until You Try. My $.02
 
The Serial Numbers Are 100% Accurate. The Real Question Is At What Serial Number Did Things Possibly Change. I Say Find A Guitar You Like, Buy It, Play It And Make Music. If You Are Not Happy, Return It And Try Again. New Parts/Old Parts - Who Knows What You May Prefer? You Never Know Until You Try. My $.02
That's all good and fine, but doesn't answer the larger question. The "real" question, is the question I posed in the comments, not the this new angle on it. Obviously, the numbers are accurate, every guitar has a serial number. However, the numbers don't really tell you about the version of the guitar you're getting.
 
That's all good and fine, but doesn't answer the larger question. The "real" question, is the question I posed in the comments, not the this new angle on it. Obviously, the numbers are accurate, every guitar has a serial number. However, the numbers don't really tell you about the version of the guitar you're getting.
BINGO! And Nobody Likely Knows The Serial Number Cut Off So I Revert Back To My Original Statement Of Buying One You Like And Seeing If It Works For You. If That Isn't something You Want To Do, Wait Another Six Months Or So And Buy A Newly Made One So You Are Certain You Have One That Is "Updated" From The Factory. :)
 
BINGO! And Nobody Likely Knows The Serial Number Cut Off So I Revert Back To My Original Statement Of Buying One You Like And Seeing If It Works For You. If That Isn't something You Want To Do, Wait Another Six Months Or So And Buy A Newly Made One So You Are Certain You Have One That Is "Updated" From The Factory. :)
Thanks, but again...this isn't an advice request post. It's more a Hail Mary to find out if anyone has more information on how serial numbers are assigned and if there are other hints that can help inform us what model a guitar is.

Personally, I've got all the guitars I need at the moment, and am just curious what year my current gear is without having to remove my pickups.
 
Thanks, but again...this isn't an advice request post. It's more a Hail Mary to find out if anyone has more information on how serial numbers are assigned and if there are other hints that can help inform us what model a guitar is.

Personally, I've got all the guitars I need at the moment, and am just curious what year my current gear is without having to remove my pickups.
And Like I Said, Nobody Knows The Serial Number Cut Off Date For Revisions. Maybe You Should Have Started This Thread With Something Like "I Am Curious To See If Anybody Knows______________________ Because I Am Wanting To Know What I Already Have But I Don't Want To Know Bad Enough To Actually Lift The Pickups To See Which Ones They Are So That I Know for Certain. ;)

Yes I Am Busting Your Balls A Bit In Fun But If You Are Honest With Yourself You Kind Of Deserve It. ;)

Seriously, The Easiest Way to Know Is To Pop The Pickups Up On your Next String Change And See What You Have. Good Luck! :)
 
They generally transition from one feature change to the other toward the end of the year. There isn't usually a cutoff point.

But if yours has the 2024 code, it was made in 2024. Unless you have a Time Machine, in which case all bets are off. ;)
 
They generally transition from one feature change to the other toward the end of the year. There isn't usually a cutoff point.

But if yours has the 2024 code, it was made in 2024. Unless you have a Time Machine, in which case all bets are off. ;)
I just think its weird that the some of the '24s in my original post have higher numbers than the '25s
 
I just think its weird that the some of the '24s in my original post have higher numbers than the '25s
No ryhme or reason...
For example...
The new colors(gold, white and blue) available for the SE CE Standard Satin are a '25 spec. They are available now and I have seen both speed knobs and lampshades on those instruments.
 
I just think its weird that the some of the '24s in my original post have higher numbers than the '25s
Here's my understanding, but it's based only on US models.

If the dealer ordered a 2024 model, it'll come with the 2024 model features. If the dealer ordered a 2025 model, it'll come with those features.

I was told the serial numbers are put on the guitar at some early stage in the build, and there's a sheet with that guitar's specs that follows it through the build process. Some builds might go slower, others faster. That would account for the variation in serial number sequence vs model year.

I honestly don't have a clue as to the SE models, but I can't imagine it's all that different.

The whole thing doesn't amount to a hill of beans, anyway. If you like your guitar, bonus. If the serial number makes you not love what you've got, great, there's another guitar coming 'round the bend!
 
It’s overseas contract manufacturing. I don’t imagine guitars are tracked quite like the US ones are. PRS signs a contract for X number of guitars made to Y specs. SE serial numbers seem to differ based on the actual manufacturer, which suggests that PRS isn’t the company determining what the serial number is.
 
I wanna say this discussion has come up before?.
LU9VNak.jpeg

Mp6PKwK.jpeg


You can see how the serial numbers for all these guitars are CTCH, which is supposed to mean 2024. However, you can clearly see that some of these guitars are 2025 models (you can tell by the lamp shade knobs). What makes things stranger, is that some of these 2025 models have serial numbers that are lower than the 2024 models.

How can we tell what model our guitar is, if the particular model looked identical from one year to another?

Didn't this discussion come up awhile back with the same model and a serial number confusion? I wanna say we were talking about serials, years, and the change to LT pickups? Which was confirmed by PRS the seHb2 has always had LT pickups and they just changed the name. But same pickups.

Could totally be making up the serial thing but I thought there was something word there too?.
 
I wanna say this discussion has come up before?.


Didn't this discussion come up awhile back with the same model and a serial number confusion? I wanna say we were talking about serials, years, and the change to LT pickups? Which was confirmed by PRS the seHb2 has always had LT pickups and they just changed the name. But same pickups.
Someone else later tested 58/15 S & 58/15 LT S pickups and found that PRS was full of ****, and the pickups original 58/15 Ss were much hotter.
 
Someone else later tested 58/15 S & 58/15 LT S pickups and found that PRS was full of ****, and the pickups original 58/15 Ss were much hotter.
But they weren't from the seHb2. They were in other guitars. My seHb2 is a serial that should have non LT but they measure LT
 
But they weren't from the seHb2. They were in other guitars. My seHb2 is a serial that should have non LT but they measure LT
Oh, thanks. I thought it was the seHb2 that was hotter, while the se594 had the lighter LT output.
 
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