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Vintage Guitar Serial Numbers - Yamaha

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Serial numbers on Yamaha guitars repeat every ten years due to the
way they are formed.
The first letter indicates the last digit of the year of production. (Their
numbering system began with "H" for 1.)

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The second letter indicates the month.

The first two numbers indicate the day of the month.

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The last three numbers represent order of production on the day the
guitar was made.
Example: hm02316 = the 316th unit made on June 2 of 1961, 1971,
1981, 1991, or 2001.
First Letter

Years

1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001

1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002

1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003

1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004

1965, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005

1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006

1967, 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007

1968, 1978, 1988, 1998

1969, 1979, 1989, 1999

1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000

Second Letter

Month

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

Contact

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August

September

October

November

December

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A lot of people have written in to say, "Hey! My Yamaha serial

number looks nothing like this!" To you folks, we offer the
following: Several other serial number configurations used by Yamaha
over the years. If you still can't figure it out, please see Yamaha contact
info at the bottom of this page.

Alternate serial number configurations for Yamaha

Classical and Acoustic Guitars
Custom Shop, Made in Japan, 1966-1985:
001-1042 in sequence
Custom Shop, Made in Japan, 1986-1990:
Letter-####, like so: J7012.
The letter at the beginning represents the month, so J would be March
(see chart above).
The number following the letter is the year, in this case 7 for 1987.
The last three numbers indicate unit number. 012=12th unit.
Custom Shop, Made in Japan, 1991-1996:
Letter-letter-###-letter, like so: HP213J.
Using the charts, we see that H=1991 and P=September. 213=unit
number; and that last letter is an internal code.
Custom Shop, Made in Japan, 1997-2003:
Letter-letter-###, like so: NK333.
Using the chart, N=1997 and K=April. The three numbers are again,
unit number. Unit number 333 in this case.
Custom Shop, Made in Japan, 2004-:
Letter-letter-letter-###-letter, like so: QLY111C.
Q=0 and L=5, so 2005. Y=November. 111 is the unit number; and the
final letter is an internal code.
Yamaha Music Craft, Made in Japan, 1997-1999:
Letter-letter-###-letter, like so: ON521J. (That first letter is an "oh"
not a zero.)
The first letter is the year; O=1998. The second letter is the month;
N=July. The three numbers are the unit number; this started over each
month at 500, so unit number 21. The final letter is an internal code.
Yamaha Music Craft, Made in Japan, 1999:
Letter-letter-###, like so: PM222.
The first letter is the year; P=1999. Second letter is the month;
M=June. The last three numbers are the unit number. During 1999,
they starting the count each month at 200 rather than 500. (See
previous entry for Yamaha Music Craft for more on the numbering.)
Yamaha Music Craft, Made in Japan, 2001-:
Letter-letter-letter-###-letter, like so: QIL123A.

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The first two letters are the year; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third
letter is the month; L=May. The three numbers are the unit number;
123. The final letter is an internal code.
Tenryu/Wada Factory, Made in Japan, 1946-1968:
#####. 12233. Just five digit numbers in sequence. No year of
manufacture can be determined.
Tenryu/Wada Factory, Made in Japan, 1969-1984:
######. Six numbers, like so: 710502.
The first two numbers are the year. In this case 1971. The second two
numbers are the month; here, May. The final two numbers are the unit
number.
Tenryu/Wada Factory, Made in Japan, 1985-1986:
######. Six numbers like so: 860021.
The first two numbers are the year; 1986. The last four numbers are
the unit number; 21.
Kaohsiung Factory, Made in Taiwan, 1971-2001:
########. Eight numbers, like so: 10918111.
The first number is the year; 1971. The second and third numbers are
the month; 09=September. The fourth and fifth numbers are the day;
18th. The final three numbers are the unit number; 111.
Kaohsiung Factory, Made in Taiwan, 2001-:
Letter-letter-letter-######. Three letters, six numbers, like so:
QIM183112.
The first two letters are the year; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third
letter is the month. M=June. The first two numbers are the day; 18th.
The final four numbers are the unit number; 3112.
YMMI (Yamaha Music Manufacturing Indonesia), Made in Indonesia,
1990-1996:
########. Eight numbers, like so: 20918022.
The first number is the year; 1992. The second and third numbers are
the month; 09=September. The fourth and fifth numbers are the day;
18th. The last three numbers are the unit number; 22.
YMMI, Made in Indonesia, 1997-1999:
#########. Nine numbers, like so: 803180011.
The first number is the year; 1998. The second and third numbers are
the month; March (03). The fourth and fifth numbers are the day; 18th.
The last four numbers are the unit number; 11.
YMMI, Made in Indonesia, 2000-:
##########. Ten numbers, like so: 0002180013.
The first two numbers are the year; 00=2000. The third and fourth
numbers are the month; 02=February. The fifth and sixth numbers are
the day; 18th. The last four numbers are the unit number; 13.
YMMI, Made in Indonesia, 2001-:
Letter-letter-letter-######, like so: QIM180013.
The first two letters are the year; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third
letter is the month; June (see chart above.) The first and second
numbers (following the 3 letters) are the day; 18th. The final four
numbers are the unit number; 13.

Alternate serial number configurations for Yamaha

Electric, Archtop, and Bass Guitars

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Made in Japan, 1966-1984. For SG, SX, and BB series.

Year

Serial Number Sequence

1966

0398-3951

1967

3952-7433

1968

7434-10844

1969

10645-12331

1970

12332-13492

1971

13493-15121

1972

15122-18058

1973

18059-23745

1974

23746-36150

1975

36151-38104

1976

38105-39943 (SG-175, SX-125)

1001-1390 (SG1000)
1001-1126 (SG2000)

1977

001391-002365
001251-002610
001001-001270
001271-001320

(SG1000)
(SG2000)
(BB1200)
(BB2000)

1978

002366-003110
002611-003760
001321-002965
002001-002380

(SG1000)
(SG2000)
(BB1200)
(BB2000)

1979

003111-004445
003761-005088
002966-004000
002381-002920

(SG1000)
(SG2000)
(BB1200)
(BB2000)

1980 (through July)

004446-005329 (SG1000)
005081-005375 (SG2000)

1980 (through December)

013001-024215

1981

025410-059618

1982

059620-096639

1983

096640-126845

1984 (through July)

126846-146196

Made in Japan, 1984-1986:

Letter-letter-letter-letter-###. Four letters and a number, like so:
LJQH013.
(See chart at the top of the page.) The first letter is the year; 1985.
The second letter is the month; March. The third and fourth letters are
the date; QH=01. The three numbers at the end are the unit number.
Made in Japan, 1984-1996:
Letter-letter-####. Two letters, four numbers, like so: MI0031.
The first number is the year; 1986. The second number is the month;
February. The four numbers are the unit number; 31.
Made in Japan, 1986-1989:
#-letter-#####. 5I04013.

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The first number is an internal code. The letter is the month; February
(see chart). The next two numbers are the date; 4th. The last three
numbers are the unit number; 13. There is no indication of year in this
configuration--just "sometime between '86 and '89.
Made in Japan, 1995-1999:
######. Six numbers, like so: 610101.
The first number is the year; 1996. The next two numbers are the
month; 10=October. The final three numbers are the unit number; 101.
Made in Japan, 1994-1997:
#-letter-letter-###. Like so: 7FM123.
The first number is the year; 1997. The letter (2nd position) is an
internal code. The next letter (3rd position) is the month; in this case
M=June (see chart.) The final three numbers are the unit number.
Made in Japan, 1997-:
#-letter-letter-####, like so: 8FJ0013.
The first number is the year; 1998. The letter (2nd position) is an
internal code. the letter (3rd position) is the month; March (see chart.)
The final four numbers are the unit number; 13.
Made in Japan, 1988:
Letter-letter-letter-letter-###, like so: SMQI123.
The first letter is an internal code. The second letter is the month; June.
The third and fourth letters are the date; QI=02. So, June 2nd, 1988.
The three numbers are the unit number; 123.
Made in Japan, 1989-2002:
Letter-letter-letter-letter-###, like so: SKJL321.
The first letter is an internal code (both I and S were used). The second
letter is the month; K=April. The third letter is an internal code for
Japan. The fourth letter is the year; L=1995. The three numbers at the
end are the unit number.
Made in Japan, 2002-:
Letter-letter-letter-###-letter, like so: QJM111E.
The first and second letters are the year; QJ=03. The third letter is the
month; M=June. The three numbers are the unit number; 111. The
final letter is an internal code (could be E, F, I, or S.)
Made in Taiwan, 1984-2002:
Letter-letter-#####, like so: PH07123.
The first letter is the year; P=1999. The second letter is the month;
H=January. The first two numbers (07 in this example) are the day;
7th. The final three numbers are the unit number; 123.
Made in Taiwan, 2002-:
Letter-letter-letter-######, like so: QJM120013.
The first two letters are the year; QJ=03. The third letter is the month;
M=June. The two numbers that follow are the day; 12th. The final four
numbers are the unit number; 0013 (13).
Made in Korea and Made in China, 2003-:
Letter-letter-letter-####-letter, like so: QKJ0011Y.
The first two letters are the year; QK=04 (see chart.) The third letter is
the month; J=March. The four numbers that follow are the unit
number; (00)11. The last number is an internal code (could be D, R, U,
or Y.)

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Believe it or not, this list does not cover all possible serial
numbers. Hopefully, this will help many of you! Again, if you're still
having trouble, please contact Yamaha directly as we have posted all
the info we have. Thanks!
Yamaha Corporation of America
6600 Orangethorpe Ave.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 522-9011
Email Inquires:infostation@yamaha.com
Outside the USA, please visit the link below to find contact
information by country.
http://www.global.yamaha.com/products/music/guitars.html
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