What Does My Banjo's Serial Number Tell Me?Updated 4 months ago

Upperline Banjo Serial Numbers

The serial number on your Deering Upperline banjo (Deering & Vega) will tell you when it was made and if the neck of your banjo matches the pot of your banjo.  

Where is my Serial Number? 

Upperline banjos typically have two numbers - The neck number is a reference number and can be found on the back of the peghead. These are hand-stamped and can sometimes vary in depth and clarity, so be sure to pay close attention. 

The full serial number can usually be found on the inside of the resonator, or in the case of an openback, inside the rim. The resonator will need to be fully removed to access the number. 

The last 4 digits of the full serial number are the neck number and should match the 4 digits found on the back of the peghead of your banjo.  

What does my serial number tell me?

The other digits in the serial number can tell you when your banjo was made. 

• The first two digits tell you the month the banjo was built;
• The last two digits before the dash or space will tell you the year;
• The numbers in between are considered the number of that model we have made since we started the formal serial number system in 1987.  

For example: Serial Number 0534599-7362 would be a banjo from May of 1999.

• 0534599-7362 = May
• 0534599-7362 = 1999
• 0534599-7362 = Banjo 345 of that model
• 0534599-7362 = Matching peghead number

The serial number will not tell you the model that you have. The model name is usually found on the serial number sticker inside the resonator or rim of the banjo.

Goodtime Banjo Serial Numbers

Goodtime Banjos were never given serial numbers until July of 2023*. Since that time, they will always be found on the back of the peghead.

• The first 6 digits are simply the date of manufacture in DDMMYY format
• Followed by the number Goodtime model we made on that particular day.

For example: Serial Number 090123-21 would be the 21st Goodtime banjo we made on September 1st, 2023.

*Note: The Goodtime Midnight Special did recieve a serial number before this time and has since been discontinued.