Serial Number Question

[srichardson]

Just wondering what the CE and CTI stands for, or means on the Headstock of my SE custom 24.
The full serial number looks like this CE cti A001119 I believe this is a 2000 year model, even though it was listed as a used 2017..

Thanks for your help,
Steven

 

[AP515]

The CE is a trademark indicator, I don't see a "cti" and the rest is the serial number. The A is the year, and the rest is the number of the guitar made that year.

 

[JohnPRS]

CE stands for Conformité Européenne, which is French for "European Conformity." A product in one of the controlled product categories cannot legally be sold in the EU unless it has passed the tests to receive the CE marking.

 

[Coop]

The CE stands for Conformité Européene. It means that it conforms to European standards and can be sold throughout Europe.

 

[srichardson]

Thanks everyone...

 

[Doug Mitchell]

I had a similar question, my new SE Custom 24 has serial number (apparently) CE CTI A10769. I emailed PRS customer support about this since their web page identifying years and serial numbers didn't match any part of this number. They said that the web page was out of date for SEs. The 'A' definitely doesn't mean year 2000 in my case (or yours). The "CE" is addressed in above comments; I don't know what the "CTI" means, but it isn't part of the serial number. You can ask at [email protected] to get more info on yours. They responded promptly.

 

[bodia]

I had a similar question, my new SE Custom 24 has serial number (apparently) CE CTI A10769. I emailed PRS customer support about this since their web page identifying years and serial numbers didn't match any part of this number. They said that the web page was out of date for SEs. The 'A' definitely doesn't mean year 2000 in my case (or yours). The "CE" is addressed in above comments; I don't know what the "CTI" means, but it isn't part of the serial number. You can ask at [email protected] to get more info on yours. They responded promptly.

Is CTI for Core-Tek Industries? Which would be who made the guitar?

 

[garrett]

CTI stands for Cor-Tek Industries, the manufacturer of the guitar.

SE guitars were originally made in Korea by World Musical Instruments. The A as in AP515's pic above indicates 2000 for those. However, I have never seen a WMI guitar with an A serial number in the wild. There are very, very few. All of the first gen Santana SE guitars I've seen have a B serial number.

A couple years ago, PRS diversified their overseas manufacturing and started having some guitars built by Cort in Indonesia. Initially, it was the SE Standard line, which started with I A and then the number. That was 2015 maybe? Like was pointed out, the PRS site is out of date for SE serial numbers.

More recently, they began doing some SE Custom guitars in the Cort factory as well. My conclusion is those get the "CTI" designation followed by the year prefix. So "A" would either be from late '16 or '17, whenever they started that new manufacturing line.

 

[Doug Mitchell]

Is CTI for Core-Tek Industries? Which would be who made the guitar?

Makes sense to me. That's where mine was made.

 

[srichardson]

Thanks Again !!! Nice Explanation Garret..

 

[Knotsogood]

CTI stands for Cor-Tek Industries, the manufacturer of the guitar.

SE guitars were originally made in Korea by World Musical Instruments. The A as in AP515's pic above indicates 2000 for those. However, I have never seen a WMI guitar with an A serial number in the wild. There are very, very few. All of the first gen Santana SE guitars I've seen have a B serial number.

A couple years ago, PRS diversified their overseas manufacturing and started having some guitars built by Cort in Indonesia. Initially, it was the SE Standard line, which started with I A and then the number. That was 2015 maybe? Like was pointed out, the PRS site is out of date for SE serial numbers.

More recently, they began doing some SE Custom guitars in the Cort factory as well. My conclusion is those get the "CTI" designation followed by the year prefix. So "A" would either be from late '16 or '17, whenever they started that new manufacturing line.

Any idea where the letter R at the start of the serial # would fit? R01980 is the whole serial #. Made in Korea acording to the headstock..
Cheers

 

[shimmilou]

2017

https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/support/article/year_identification

 

[Knotsogood]

Thanks for link Shimmilou.

I had already checked out that info but the letter seqences stop at "O" (2014). The serial # I am looking at is prefixed with an "R" whuch is not listed. Logically that would make it a 2017 build! a little confused as to why PRS would not publish the prefix "R". Working on the numerical prefix "0" it is a 1990-2000 model. Really trying to work out what the "R" relates to?

 

[AP515]

Thanks for link Shimmilou.

I had already checked out that info but the letter seqences stop at "O" (2014). The serial # I am looking at is prefixed with an "R" whuch is not listed. Logically that would make it a 2017 build! a little confused as to why PRS would not publish the prefix "R". Working on the numerical prefix "0" it is a 1990-2000 model. Really trying to work out what the "R" relates to?

PRS just doesn't update the list every single year. It is correct to just increment the letter for every year as they go by. They will update the list at some point.

 

[Knotsogood]

PRS just doesn't update the list every single year. It is correct to just increment the letter for every year as they go by. They will update the list at some point.

So on that note I would assume the first digits in the prefix are not relevant to DoM..Confusing give the statement on their page states that "All guitars and basses have serial numbers which start with a year prefix. The prefix is the last one or two digits of the production year, and it applies to all models".
Thanks again..

 

[AP515]

So on that note I would assume the first digits in the prefix are not relevant to DoM..Confusing give the statement on their page states that "All guitars and basses have serial numbers which start with a year prefix. The prefix is the last one or two digits of the production year, and it applies to all models".
Thanks again..

Yes, confusing. That was probably written for USA models only, last phrase not withstanding. Overseas models do not start with a "digit". They start with a letter.

 

[Knotsogood]

Now that makes it clearer.
Serial is #R01980.. I suspect it may be one of the Exotic Wood releases so will do a bit mire diging..

Thanks, great help.