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Check My Guitar

Martin guide

Fake serial number warning signs

A number that looks right is the easiest part of a fake to get right. Here is what to look at instead.

Start from the right assumption

Martin's serial table is published. Anyone producing a counterfeit can pick a number from the correct year in about thirty seconds, which means a serial that decodes cleanly tells you almost nothing about whether the instrument is genuine.

The useful signals are not in the number. They are in how the number was applied and whether everything around it agrees with the year the number claims.

Signs worth investigating

  • A stamp that looks crisp and new on an instrument whose finish and wear suggest decades of use.
  • Stamping that is uneven in depth or alignment, or in a typeface that does not match documented examples from that period.
  • Sanding, refinishing or filler visible around the neck block stamp.
  • A serial whose year is inconsistent with the model — a model designation that was not in production in that year.
  • Construction details, bracing pattern or hardware that do not match what Martin was building in the claimed year.
  • A price well below the market for that model and year, with a reason that sounds plausible.

None of these is conclusive on its own

Genuine instruments get repaired, refinished and modified. A disturbed area near the stamp might be a competent neck reset rather than an alteration. The point is not that any single sign condemns an instrument — it is that each one is a question that should have an answer before you buy.

What actually settles it

  1. Check the model designation stamp against the serial's year. Martin's model history is well documented and a mismatch is hard to explain away.
  2. Compare the bracing pattern, which is visible through the soundhole, against what Martin used in that period.
  3. Look at construction details — the neck joint, the binding, the rosette, the headstock shape — against documented examples.
  4. Ask Martin. The company can confirm what a serial was issued to, which is genuinely useful evidence.
  5. For anything of value, pay for an inspection by a specialist dealer or a qualified appraiser.

The honest position

This site can tell you that a number is consistent with a Martin numbered in a particular year. It cannot tell you that the instrument in front of you is that guitar, and no online lookup can.

If the sum involved matters to you, the cost of an expert inspection is a rounding error against the cost of getting it wrong.

Common questions

Can a fake Martin have a real serial number?
Yes, and most do. Martin's serial table is published, so choosing a number consistent with the claimed year is trivial. A serial that decodes correctly is not evidence that an instrument is genuine.
How can I tell if a Martin serial number has been altered?
Look at how the stamp sits in the wood: crisp stamping on a heavily worn instrument, uneven depth or alignment, or sanding and filler around the neck block are all worth questioning. None is conclusive on its own, and a specialist inspection is what settles it.

Last reviewed 29 July 2026. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.