Serial number dating / Tokai
Tokai serial number lookup
Find the year a Tokai was built, read from Tokai’s own numbering scheme.
Can't read a digit? Type ? in its place. Looked-up serials are kept, never tied to you. How it works
Type the serial or code from the instrument. We read it as you type.
Cross-check with a pot code
The number stamped on a potentiometer inside the guitar. It dates the part, not the whole instrument.
Example Tokai serials and how they read
Made-up serials in each of Tokai’s formats, read by the dater above.
| Serial | Reads as | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2012345 | 1982 | Japan copy, single-digit-year era |
| 1123456 | 2011 | Japan copy, two-digit-year era (2010s) |
| CN11234567 | 2011 | Made in China (CN + year) |
| 0412345 | 2004 | Japan copy, two-digit-year era (2000s) |
| 8001234 | 1978 | Japan copy, first digit = year |
| C091234 | 2009 | Made in China (C + year) |
How Tokai serials date
- Made in China (CN + year)
- Made in China (CH + year)
- Made in China (C + year)
- Japan copy, single-digit-year era
- Japan copy, 1981 neck plate or 2010 headstock
- Japan copy, 1981 or 2011
- Japan copy, first digit = year
- Japan copy, two-digit-year era
More on Tokai serial numbers
How sure is it
Every result carries its confidence. Treat the year as a strong guide, not proof: a serial can be replaced, a neck and body can be from different years, and reissues copy old numbering. For anything that matters, confirm the year against the neck date, the pot codes.
We also check the serial against the millions of listings we track and show whether that exact number has been advertised before, where, and at what price.
Other brands
This is one of many brands the serial number dater covers.