First two numbers in the sequence are the last two digits of the production year. If you see a seven digit serial number on the back of a Dean guitar, you can be sure that it was produced in United States. Dean's more affordable line made outside the US may require looking at features and hardware and some knowledge of the line.

Sep 01, 2013 Best Answer: there is not a specific website for Dean serial numbers. Hard To Find Magazine Backissues Good, Clean Fun. Trying to determine the year of your Martin Guitar. Guitar lessons for acoustic guitar players of any level. Try making a post on the Dean board - lots of knowledgeable folks. For the most part - the USA models will have 'Made in the USA' with YY - SERIAL on the back of the headstock. In the late 90's (1996 I believe) the serial #'s for the USA models were stamped on the fret board after the last fret.

Some Observations Regarding
The dating of Gustav Becker Clocks
using Serial Numbers
(with photographs)

-- DRAFT 11/2002 --

Here's another link with a serial number dating chart . Worth looking at, butthey mention nothing about Braunau factory !
http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/gbecker.htm

I have seen many people selling Gustav Becker clocks applya date to them based on the serial number on the movement. In many cases Ibelieve the dates provided may be incorrect. I'm not anexpert, nor do I claim to be. As a beginning collector of European,Austrian, & German clocks, I hate to see people be mislead intentionally oraccidentally, when there is information out there that can help.

Many people are inappropriately dating clocks made in theBraunau factory using the Gustav Becker Freiburg factory chart that iscontained within the books listed below. This yields a completely bogusdate and is false and misleading.
Please note that I am merely passing along what I see in the books listed belowand you, of course, may do with the information what you wish. I urge youto do your own research and/or consult an expert before making any expensivebuying decisions. Naturally, if anybody has better information that I do,please pass that along to me and I will happily correct anything that is inerror.

The conclusions I've drawn are as follows:
1) It is relatively easy to tell on most clocks whether a clock was made inFreiburg or in Braunau by looking at the trademark stamped on the back of theclock
2) Clocks made in the GB Freiburg factory can be dated with some level ofaccuracy based on the serial number.
3) Clocks made in the GB Braunau factory cannot be dated with anyaccuracy, as the factory was possibly opened in 1888.
4) According to the books, Freiburg was making close to 100k clocks a year by1880, so one might assume that Braunau was making somewhat less than that peryear.

The 2 books I am using for reference are:
1) Gustav Becker Story - 1847-1927 - by Karl Kochmann @ 1974 1993edition ISBN 0-933396-29-5
2) Clock & Watch Trademark Index - European Origin - by Karl Kochmann@1988 ISBN 0-933396-34-1

1) Reference Book - Gustav Becker Story
Page 32, near the top
GUSTAV BECKER
Braunau - Bohemia, Former Austrian - Hungarian Danube Fed. ( now Broumov, CSR )
Gustav Becker, assembly plant since the year 1888. After the annexation ofBohemia, year 1918 * (*after ww-I)
into Czechoslovakia, Becker Clocks were marketed with the stamp: MADE in BRAUNAUTSCHECKOSLOVAKIA
....
Note: Serial number index not traceable. Plant closing year unknown.

Page 35, 3/4 of the way down the page

Braunau works - Numbering system-or index not traceable.

Dean Bass Serial Number Lookup

1) Reference Book - Clock & Watchtrademark Index
Page 293, near the bottom
GUSTAV BECKER
... ...
The Braunau works operated as independent branch factory. No serial numberrecords are found.
... ...
GUSTAV BECKER
Braunau - Bohemia
Former Austrian Danube Federation no Czechoslovakia 036/4
After annexation of Bohemia:* (after WWI) the production of the former Beckerbranch factory
was sold with embossement since 1918

Page 294,
Same chart as in 'The Gustav Becker Story', above.

Photographsof Trademarks

Dean Banjo Serial Number Lookup

Note: There are lots of different GB stamps , theseare just a few

Example of trademark stamps with Braunau works ( SN100k+ , 500k+ )

Example of trademark stamps with Freiburg / Silesiaworks

IExample of trademark stamps with Freiburg/ Silesia works
Oddly enough, on this one, it's on the right side not the left.

Example of a very early trademark stamp with Freiburg/ Silesia works ( SN 89603k )

Example of a very early trademark stamp with Freiburg/ Silesia works ( SN 35k )

Example of a very early trademark stamp with Freiburg/ Silesia works ( SN 25k )

Having recently learned that Freiburg/Silesia is inPoland, there may be some issues in calling these 'German' clocks...but probably not.

Dean Guitars Serial Number Lookup

Copyright 2002 by Dean Kinard.

Not responsible for errors or inaccuracies. Forreference only, use at your own risk. Sources used are listed above.