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Dating Your Takamine
Most Japanese Built Takamine Guitars will have an 8 digit serial number, usually found inside the guitar, at the neck block. From the 1970’s until around late 2012/early 2013 the serialization on Japan built Takamine guitars distributed in the United States followed this formula: YYMMXXXX
YY is the year
MM is the Month
XXXX is a sequential number of total guitars made that month (all models made, not just the model of your guitar)
Here is an example... Serial #: 07100091 would be the 91st guitar made in the Japanese factory in October of 2007.
Effective in late 2012/early 2013, a change to the formula for the first 2 digits occurred on all Japan built Takamines coming to the United States. Now, the first 2 digits signify the number of years since Takamine’s establishment in 1962. If you add the first 2 digits to 1962, you will get the year. So, for example, the new number might look like this: 51030002 – the year of manufacture, indicated as “51”, would be 2013 [51 + 1962 = 2013], and the rest of the serial number would be the same as the system prior to this change – So this guitar would have been the 2nd guitar made in March of 2013. This formula is the one that Japan has used on their domestic built guitars that are sold within Japan and not exported.
Dating a G series Takamine, however, is not as simple and for the most part has not followed the same formula as the Japan Made Takamine Guitars. As the serialization of G-series has changed throughout the years, we suggest emailing us and we can verify the year your G-series guitar was made.
YY is the year
MM is the Month
XXXX is a sequential number of total guitars made that month (all models made, not just the model of your guitar)
Here is an example... Serial #: 07100091 would be the 91st guitar made in the Japanese factory in October of 2007.
Effective in late 2012/early 2013, a change to the formula for the first 2 digits occurred on all Japan built Takamines coming to the United States. Now, the first 2 digits signify the number of years since Takamine’s establishment in 1962. If you add the first 2 digits to 1962, you will get the year. So, for example, the new number might look like this: 51030002 – the year of manufacture, indicated as “51”, would be 2013 [51 + 1962 = 2013], and the rest of the serial number would be the same as the system prior to this change – So this guitar would have been the 2nd guitar made in March of 2013. This formula is the one that Japan has used on their domestic built guitars that are sold within Japan and not exported.
Dating a G series Takamine, however, is not as simple and for the most part has not followed the same formula as the Japan Made Takamine Guitars. As the serialization of G-series has changed throughout the years, we suggest emailing us and we can verify the year your G-series guitar was made.
