Serial number dating / Yamaha
Yamaha serial number lookup
Find the year a Yamaha was built, read from Yamaha’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 Yamaha serials and how they read
Made-up serials in each of Yamaha’s formats, read by the dater above.
| Serial | Reads as | Format |
|---|---|---|
| IIJ281234 | 28 March 2022 | Taiwan / Indonesia, letter code (2001 on), Taiwan or Indonesia |
| IIK11C123 | Apr 2022 | Yamaha letter code |
| 710123 | Jan 1971 | Japan, Tenryu/Wada (1969-1984) |
| H6123 | Jan 1986 | Custom Shop, Japan (1986-1990) |
| 861234 | 1986 | Japan, Tenryu/Wada (1985-1986) |
| LN123 | Jul 2005 | Custom Shop / Music Craft, Japan (1997-2003) |
How Yamaha serials date
- Letter code: two year letters + month letter (2001 on), exact year and month
- Custom Shop letter codes (1986-2003), exact year and month
- Japan Tenryu numeric YYMM (1969-1986), exact
- Indonesia YMMDD / YYMMDD (1997 on), exact
- Taiwan/Indonesia 8-digit and the classic two-letter code: month exact, decade from the model
- Two year letters + seven digits (2000 on): the year, checked against our listings
More on Yamaha serial numbers
Where to find the serial
Acoustics/classicals: a label inside the soundhole or a stamp inside the body (older ones also on the neck block). Electrics: the back of the headstock or the neck plate.
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 and Yamaha's serial charts.
Other brands
This is one of many brands the serial number dater covers.