Where to Find the Serial Number on a Yamaha Guitars Guitar
Printed or pressed on the rear of the headstock between or below the tuning pegs.
Look through the soundhole towards the neck joint. Vintage and modern Yamaha acoustics have the serial stamped into the wood block.
Yamaha Guitars Serial Number Formats & Historical Dating Cheat-Sheet
| Production Era | Serial Format | Decoding Rule / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Letter-Code System (2000–Present) | Letter (Year) + Letter/Digit (Month) + Day (2 digits) + Sequence (e.g. IQN15042) | Year letters: H=1, I=2, J=3, K=4, L=5, M=6, N=7, O=8, P=9, Q=0 (e.g. I=2022/2012/2002). Month letters: H=Jan..P=Sep, X=Oct, Y=Nov, Z=Dec. | IQN15042 -> Manufactured at Hangzhou/Indonesia Facility |
| Taiwan Kaohsiung Era (1971–2001) | 8-Digit Numeric: YMMDDXXX (e.g. 20415123) | First digit is the decade year (2=1972/1982/1992), followed by 2 digits for month and 2 digits for day. | 20415123 -> Taiwan Kaohsiung (April 15th, 1982/1992) |
| Vintage "Red Label" Nippon Gakki (1966–1972) | 6-7 Digits stamped on neck block (e.g. 845678, 1045678) | Iconic original FG-180 / FG-150 / FG-140 acoustics made in Hamamatsu, Japan. First digit reflects Showa year (8=1968, 1=1971). | 845678 -> Nippon Gakki Japan (1968) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Dating & Authenticating Yamaha Guitars
Why are Yamaha Red Label guitars so sought after?
Nippon Gakki "Red Label" FG-180 and FG-150 guitars built in Japan from 1966 to 1972 are renowned for punchy dreadnought volume and vintage acoustic resonance matching vintage Martins costing 5x more.
Where are Yamaha Revstar and Pacifica guitars made?
Standard Revstar (RSS20) and Pacifica 611/112 models are built at Yamaha's state-of-the-art facility in Indonesia, while the flagship Revstar Professional (RSP20) is handcrafted in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Explore Yamaha Guitars Market Prices & Buying Advice
Knowing your guitar's build year is the first step in determining its resale value. Read our comprehensive 2026 buying guide and valuation tables to see current market trends for Yamaha Guitars.