CRACK THE CODE

Find out where your Ovation guitar was made.

4 Digit Series

The first digit of the series number is always 1

Second digit is type of guitar:

  • 1 - Acoustic roundbacks (also semi-hollowbody electrics)
  • 2 - Solidbody and semi-hollowbody electrics
  • 3 - Ultra acoustics
  • 4 - Solidbody
  • 5 - Acoustic electric cutaway Adamas and II/Elite/Ultra electric
  • 6 - Acoustic electric roundbacks
  • 7 - Deep
  • 8 - Shallow

Third digit denotes bowl depth on acoustic and acoustic electrics:

  • 1 - Standard bowl, 5 13/16" deep
  • 2 - Artist bowl, 5 1/8" deep 3 Elite/Matrix electric deep bowl
  • 4 - Matrix shallow bowl
  • 5 - Custom Balladeer, Legend, Legend 12, Custom Legend 12, Anniversary
  • 6 - Cutaway electric, deep bowl
  • 7 - Cutaway electric, shallow bowl
  • 8 - Adamas, 6 1/16" deep

Fourth digit denotes mode, for the first eight acoustic models:

  • 1 - Balladeer
  • 2 - Deluxe Baladeer
  • 3 - Classic
  • 4 - Josh White
  • 5 - 12-String
  • 6 - Contemporary Folk Classic
  • 7 - Glen Campbell Artist Balladeer
  • 8 - Glen Campbell 12-String

The color code follows hyphen after model number:

  • 1 - Sunburst
  • 2 - Red
  • 4 - Natural
  • 4C - Natural Cedar
  • 4HFX - Natural with HEXFX Electronics
  • 5 - Black
  • 6 - White
  • 7 - LTD Nutmeg/Anniversary Brown/Beige/Tan
  • 8 - Blue
  • 8T - Blue Transparent
  • 9 - Brown
  • B - Barnwood (gray-to-black sunburst)
  • H - Honeyburst
  • AB - Amberburst
  • BCB - Black Cherry Burst
  • CG - Cadillac Green
  • CGB - Cadillac Greenburst
  • CCBQ - Cherry Cherryburst Quilt
  • FR - Figured Redwood
  • GQ - Green Quilt
  • HB - Honeyburst
  • M - Mahogany
  • P - Plumburst
  • RWB - Red Wineburst
  • RR - Ruby Red
  • RRB - Ruby Redburst
  • TDB - Teardropburst
  • TH - Transparent Honey

3 Digit Series

Series Number RangeYear MadeComments
06-319 1966 Three digits in red ink
320-999 1967 (Feb-Nov) New Hartford; three digits in red ink
1000- 1967 (Nov)-1968 (July) Four digits in black ink, no letter prefix
10000- 1970 (Feb)-1972 (May) Five digits, no letter prefix
A+3 Digits 1968 (July-Nov)
B+3 Digits 1968 (Nov)-1969 (Feb)
B+5 Digits 1974-1979 Magnum solid body basses
C+3 Digits 1969 (Feb-Sept)
D+3 Digits 1969 (Sept)-1970 (Feb)
E+4 Digits 1973 (Jan)-1975 (Feb) Solidbodies
E+5 Digits 1975 (Feb)-1980 Solidbodies
E+6 Digits 1980 (late)-1981 Some UK IIs (does not reflect production)
F,G prefix 1968 (July)-1970 (Feb)
H,I,J,L prefix 1970-1973 Electric Storm Series

6 Digit Series

1971-Present (Except Adamas)
Year Made Comment
000001-007000 1972 (May-Dec)  
007001-020000 1973  
020001-039000 1974  
039001-067000 1975  
067001-086000 1976  
086001-103000 1977 (Jan-Sept)  
103001-126000 1977 (Sept)-1978 (Apr)  
126001-157000 1978 (Apr-Dec)  
157001-203000 1979  
211011-214933 1980  
214934-263633 1981  
263634-291456 1982  
291457-302669 1983  
302670-303319 1984 Elites Only
315001-339187 1984 (May-Dec) Balladeers Only
303320-356000 1985-1986  
357000-367999 1987  
368000-382106 1988  
382107-392900 1989  
403760-420400 1990  
421000-430680 1990  
400001-403676 1991  
430681-446000 1991  
402700-406000 1992  
446001-457810 1992  
457811-470769 1993  
470770-484400 1994  
484401-501470 1995  
501471-518689 1996  
518690-528368 1997  
528369-536826 1998  
536827-545890 1999  
545891-555979 2000  
555980-564478 2001  
564479-571883 2002  
571884-579654 2003  
579655-592919 2004  
592920-601450 2005  
601451-609566 2006  
609567-618494 2007  
618495-620263 2008  
620264-621209 2009  
621210-621981 2010  
621982- 2011  

Adamas Series

Series starts with 0077 in September 1977 (number range) Year made
0077-0099 1977
0100-0608 1978
0609-1058 1979
1059-1670 1980
1671-2668 1981
2669-3242 1982
3243-3859 1983
3860-4109 1984
4110-4251 1985
4252-4283 1986
4284-4427 1987
4428-4696 1988
4697-4974 1989
4975-5541 1990
5542-6278 1991
6279-7088 1992
7089-8159 1993
8160-9778 1994
9779-11213 1995
11214-12448 1996
12449-13020 1997
13021-14623 1998
14624-16136 1999
16137-17393 2000
17394-18961 2001
18962-20040 2002
20041-20802 2003
20803-21085 2004
21086-21514 2005
21515-22211 2006
22212-22522 2007
22523-22878 2008
22879-23155 2009
23156-23402 2010
23403- 2011

Collectors Series

Year Collectors edition model number Quantity made
19821982-81908
19831983-B2754
19841984-52637
19851985-12198
2985-1715
19861986-61858
2986-6392
19871987-7820
1987-5108
19881988-P1177
19891989-8981
19901990-7500
199S-7750
1990-150
199S-1100
19911991-41464
1991-5292
19921982-H1995
19931983-41537
19941994-71763
19951985-71502
19961996-TPB1280
19971997-N935
1997-W233
19981998-NEB884
19991999-RWB870
20002000-TH719
20012001-FR696
20022002-AC740
20032003-VN612
20052005-ES582
20062006-FKOA537
20072007-BCS558
20082008-5100
20092009-FKOA150