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Yamaha Guitar serial numbers dating your guitar

Information gathered from the web:
Se rial num be rs on Yam aha guitars re pe at e ve ry te n ye ars due to the way the y are form e d.

The first letter indicates the last digit of the y ear of production. (Their numbering sy stem began with H for 1 .) The second letter indicates the month. The first two numbers indicate the day of the month. The last three numbers represent order of production on the day the guitar was made. Ex ample: hm0231 6 = the 31 6th unit made on June 2 of 1 961 , 1 97 1 , 1 981 , 1 991 , or 2001 .

First Letter H I J K L M N O P Q

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 H I J K L M N O P X Y Z

Month January Fe bruary March April May June July August Se pte m be r O ctobe r Nove m be r De ce m be r

A lot of people hav e written in to say , Hey ! My Y am aha serial num ber looks nothing like this! To y ou folks, we offer the following: Sev eral other serial number configurations used by Y amaha ov er the y ears. If y ou still cant figure it out, please see Y amaha contact info at the bottom of this page. Alternate serial num ber configurations for Y am aha Classical and Acoustic Guitars Custom Shop, Made in Japan , 1 966-1 985: 001-1042 in sequence Custom Shop, Made in Japan , 1 986-1 990: Letter-####, like so: J7 012. The letter at the beginning represents the month, so J would be March (see chart abov e). The number following the letter is the y ear, in this case 7 for 1 987 . The last three numbers indicate unit number. 01 2=1 2th unit.

Custom Shop, Made in Japan , 1 991 -1 996: Letter-letter-###-letter, like so: HP213J. Using the charts, we see that H=1 991 and P=September. 21 3=unit number; and that last letter is an internal code. Custom Shop, Made in Japan , 1 997 -2003: Letter-letter-###, like so: NK333. Using the chart, N=1 997 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: QLY 111C. Q=0 and L=5, so 2005. Y =Nov ember. 1 1 1 is the unit number; and the final letter is an internal code. Y amaha Music Craft, Made in Japan , 1 997 -1 999: Letter-letter-###-letter, like so: ON521J. (That first letter is an oh not a zero.) The first letter is the y ear; O=1 998. The second letter is the month; N=July . The three numbers are the unit number; this started ov er each month at 500, so unit number 21 . The final letter is an internal code. Y amaha Music Craft, Made in Japan , 1 999: Letter-letter-###, like so: PM222. The first letter is the y ear; P=1 999. Second letter is the month; M=June. The last three numbers are the unit number. During 1 999, they starting the count each month at 200 rather than 500. (See prev ious entry for Y amaha Music Craft for more on the numbering.) Y amaha Music Craft, Made in Japan , 2001 -: Letter-letter-letter-###-letter, like so: QIL123A. The first two letters are the y ear; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third letter is the month; L=May . The three numbers are the unit number; 1 23. The final letter is an internal code. Tenry u/Wada Factory , Made in Japan , 1 946-1 968: #####. 12233. Just fiv e digit numbers in sequence. No y ear of manufacture can be determined. Tenry u/Wada Factory , Made in Japan , 1 969-1 984: ######. Six numbers, like so: 7 10502. The first two numbers are the y ear. In this case 1 97 1 . The second two numbers are the month; here, May . The final two numbers are the unit number. Tenry u/Wada Factory , Made in Japan , 1 985-1 986: ######. Six numbers like so: 860021. The first two numbers are the y ear; 1 986. The last four numbers are the unit number; 21 . Kaohsiung Factory , Made in T aiwan , 1 97 1 -2001 :

########. Eight numbers, like so: 10918111. The first number is the y ear; 1 97 1 . The second and third numbers are the month; 09=September. The fourth and fifth numbers are the day ; 1 8th. The final three numbers are the unit number; 1 1 1 . Kaohsiung Factory , Made in T aiwan , 2001 -: Letter-letter-letter-######. Three letters, six numbers, like so: QIM183112. The first two letters are the y ear; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third letter is the month. M=June. The first two numbers are the day ; 1 8th. The final four numbers are the unit number; 31 1 2. Y MMI (Y amaha Music Manufacturing Indonesia), Made in Indonesia, 1 990-1 996: ########. Eight numbers, like so: 20918022. The first number is the y ear; 1 992. The second and third numbers are the month; 09=September. The fourth and fifth numbers are the day ; 1 8th. The last three numbers are the unit number; 22. Y MMI, Made in Indonesia, 1 997 -1 999: #########. Nine numbers, like so: 803180011. The first number is the y ear; 1 998. The second and third numbers are the month; March (03). The fourth and fifth numbers are the day ; 1 8th. The last four numbers are the unit number; 1 1 . Y MMI, Made in Indonesia, 2000-: ##########. Ten numbers, like so: 0002180013. The first two numbers are the y ear; 00=2000. The third and fourth numbers are the month; 02=February . The fifth and six th numbers are the day ; 1 8th. The last four numbers are the unit number; 1 3. Y MMI, Made in Indonesia, 2001 -: Letter-letter-letter-######, like so: QIM180013. The first two letters are the y ear; Q=0 and I=2, so 2002. The third letter is the month; June (see chart abov e.) The first and second numbers (following the 3 letters) are the day ; 1 8th. The final four numbers are the unit number; 1 3. Alternate serial num ber configurations for Y am aha Electric, Archtop, and Bass Guitars Made in Japan, 1 966-1 984. For SG, SX, and BB series.

Year 1966 1967 1968 1969

Serial Number Sequence 0398-3951 3952-7433 7434-10844 10645-12331

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

12332-13492 13493-15121 15122-18058 18059-23745 23746-36150 36151-38104 38105-39943 (SG-175, SX-125) 1001-1390 (SG1000) 1001-1126 (SG2000)

1977

001391-002365 (SG1000) 001251-002610 (SG2000) 001001-001270 (BB1200) 001271-001320 (BB2000)

1978

002366-003110 (SG1000) 002611-003760 (SG2000) 001321-002965 (BB1200) 002001-002380 (BB2000)

1979

003111-004445 (SG1000) 003761-005088 (SG2000) 002966-004000 (BB1200) 002381-002920 (BB2000)

1980 (through July)

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

1980 (through De ce m be r) 1981 1982 1983 1984 (through July)

013001-024215 025410-059618 059620-096639 096640-126845 126846-146196

Made in Japan , 1 984-1 986: 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 y ear; 1 985. 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 , 1 984-1 996: Letter-letter-####. Two letters, four numbers, like so: MI0031. The first number is the y ear; 1 986. The second number is the month; February . The four numbers are the unit number; 31 . Made in Japan , 1 986-1 989: #-letter-#####. 5I04013. The first number is an internal code. The letter is the month; February (see chart). The nex t two numbers are the date; 4th. The last three numbers are the unit number; 1 3. There is no indication of y ear in this configurationjust sometime between 86 and 89. Made in Japan , 1 995-1 999: ######. Six numbers, like so: 610101. The first number is the y ear; 1 996. The nex t two numbers are the month; 1 0=October. The final three numbers are the unit number; 1 01 . Made in Japan , 1 994-1 997 : #-letter-letter-###. Like so: 7 FM123. The first number is the y ear; 1 997 . The letter (2nd position) is an internal code. The nex t letter (3rd position) is the month; in this case M=June (see chart.) The final three numbers are the unit number. Made in Japan , 1 997 -: #-letter-letter-####, like so: 8FJ0013. The first number is the y ear; 1 998. 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; 1 3. Made in Japan , 1 988: 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, 1 988. The three numbers are the unit number; 1 23. Made in Japan , 1 989-2002: 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 y ear; L=1 995. 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 y ear; QJ=03. The third letter is the month; M=June. The three numbers are the unit number; 1 1 1 . The final letter is an internal code (could be E, F, I, or S.)

Made in T aiwan , 1 984-2002: Letter-letter-#####, like so: PH07 123. The first letter is the y ear; P=1 999. The second letter is the month; H=January . The first two numbers (07 in this ex ample) are the day ; 7 th. The final three numbers are the unit number; 1 23. Made in T aiwan , 2002-: Letter-letter-letter-######, like so: QJM120013. The first two letters are the y ear; QJ=03. The third letter is the month; M=June. The two numbers that follow are the day ; 1 2th. The final four numbers are the unit number; 001 3 (1 3). Made in Korea and Made in China, 2003-: Letter-letter-letter-####-letter, like so: QKJ0011Y . The first two letters are the y ear; QK=04 (see chart.) The third letter is the month; J=March. The four numbers that follow are the unit number; (00)1 1 . The last number is an internal code (could be D, R, U, or Y .)

Be lie ve it or not, this list does not cover all possible serial numbers. Hope fully, this will he lp m any of you! Again, if youre still having trouble , ple ase contact Yam aha dire ctly as we have poste d all the info we have . Thank s!

Yamaha Corporation of A merica 6600 O range thorpe Ave . Bue na Park , C A 90620 (714) 522-9011

Email Inquires:infostation@y amaha.com Outside the USA , please v isit the link below to find contact information by country . http://www.global.y amaha.com/products/music/guitars.html

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