Yamaha Guitar Serial Number Lookup
Yamaha Guitar Values -What is YOUR guitar worth? To determine the value of you Yamaha guitar, you must know the model and the year of manufacture. There are a few sites that provide Yamaha serial number look ups to determine the year. Just do a search for 'Yamaha Guitar Serial Numbers'. Yamaha serial numbers are recycled every ten years, 29 formats are supported here based on research available on the yamaha website. There is some overlap between formats and in those cases multiple results will be generated. If you encounter any inaccuracies please email the web master. To determine the value of you Yamaha guitar, you must know the model and the year of manufacture. There are a few sites that provide Yamaha serial number look ups to determine the year. Just do a search for 'Yamaha Guitar Serial Numbers'. You must also determine whether your guitar is in Original Condition.
I once heard a very wise man say: “Talking about labels sounds like a Johnnie Walker ad”. But as far as we’re talking Yamaha vintage FG’s there is a lot of information just by looking at the label (the following contains some pics from internet).
Before the most famous red label Nippon Gakki label was introduced Yamaha used for a very short period a “green” label.
Yamaha XJ550 models have the code is placed left to right while on other models it's front to back. The vintage Yamaha VIN decoder will decipher any code from any location on the bike. The Yamaha VIN decoder ATV will tell you the information about the type of the engine, its specs and the type of fuel you can use. You should compare the code on. Yamaha Model Code Reference Chart. It is important to know your Yamaha outboard model code and/or your Primary ID Number (serial number).
Until now I’ve only seen such a green label on some FG150’s, FG300’s and some FG180’s. These green labels can be found on the very early FG’s. Yamaha mentiones november 1966 as the starting point of the FG series. These green labels can be found on some 1967 and 1968 FG’s.
Despite the green labels the Nippon Gakki red label is considered as the start of the FG series.
I’m not sure about the exact year but around 1971 – 1972 (Yamaha mentiones 1972 as the start of “overseas” production) Yamaha changed to a white label for the Japanese market and kept the red label for the export markets.
The white labels can be found as Nippon Gakki:
Made in Taiwan:
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Also somewhere around 1972 while starting making guitars in Taiwan the red label lost the Nippon Gakki:
After that the black label was introduced. Must be around 1973 or 1974. Most of the Black label FG’s I’ve seen were produced in 1974. Black labels can be found as “Made in Taiwan”:
And “Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd” Japan:
Around 1976 – 1977 Yamaha changed to a oval white or orange label:
Almost all white oval labels are made in Taiwan. This orange label says made in Japan.
Some rare white oval labels are Nippon Gakki made in Japan:
There’s one big exception concerning early FG’s. From about 1971 Yamaha also had a special line of handbuild FG’s of outstanding quality. These had a leather label including signature:
Dating SG’s by serial number
Yamaha Acoustic Guitar Serial Number Lookup
The “History of Yamaha Guitars“, a good but far from complete book on Yamaha guitars, gives the following serial number chart for SG’s (and SX) guitars:
Made in Japan, 1966-1984. For SG 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 (SG1000)
001251-002610 (SG2000)
1978
002366-003110 (SG1000)
002611-003760 (SG2000)
1979
003111-004445 (SG1000)
003761-005088 (SG2000)
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
Yamaha Electric Guitar Serial Number Lookup
Based on my own information a few comments have to be made:
Some (perhaps even many) very early “modern” SG’s (1500, 2000 etc) have a serial number that doesn’t match the system above. They have the 1976 SG175 type 5 digit number.
Now the good part. History of Yamaha Guitars states that this numbering system is valid for SG and SX guitars. But also my SF guitars and my SC guitars (all 70’ies) match the above numbering system. I don’t know for sure but it looks like these guitars can be dated by the chart above too. Luckely these guitars normaly also have a pickup number that makes them datable.