Korean Stamped Etched Impressed Neck Plate Serial Number Guitars

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Sigmania

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Just a Theory...

(Work in Process)




It looks like these serial numbers are date based.

1995: 5 (no letter prefix) seven digit serial number
1996: F6
1997: F7 and F97 gold foil MADE IN KOREA sticker
1998: F98 gold foil MADE IN KOREA sticker
(Note some special/custom order finishes on basses appear in 1998.)
1999: F99 gold foil MADE IN KOREA sticker
2000: F0 or F2 gold foil MADE IN KOREA sticker
Switches to inked serial numbers and "MADE IN KOREA" stamp
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005: 5 (no letter prefix), eight digit SN, "MADE IN KOREA" all caps ink stamp


I’m also noticing the use of 0 almost like a place holder.

Like year, then month, then number count.

Some years the count leaves room for up to 3 digits, some years 4 digits.

Also, some years they use two digits for the year, some years just one.

Possible format:

FYMM####, FYYMM### or FYYMM####

And this type of serial number is still a bit of a mystery but seems to follow the format of the letter prefix ones, so it may be legit.

Korean Stamped No Letter Prefix Serial Number Neckplates
 
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AJB33BB

SN F9910010


October, 1999, number 10 ?

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1999 Tokai Jazz Sound AJB-33BB | Reverb

1999 catalog:

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SN F2005003

May, 2000, number 3 ?

Flying V. Made in Korea sticker.

Sold by member tokaiaustralia/mojo stomp boxes.

From the listing:

Made in Korea in the 1990's, this Tokai Flying V is one of the only i've seen in it's style and appears to be a custom order or limited run (we actually received it straight from the Tokai warehouse in Hamamatsu, Japan). An absolutely electric sparkle blue finish on the body, neck and headstock that looks stunning, it looks like a basswood body with a maple neck and 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, weighs 3.4kg's.

Loaded with a licensed Floyd Rose locking system, original HSH pickup loadout with a master volume and tone knob along with a 5-way blade pickup selector.


https://mojostompboxes.com/products/1990s-tokai-flying-v-sparkle-blue


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https://www.ebay.com/itm/1753059135...b_vTl8uRJe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 
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Circa 1999 FV48 VNT

Looks like a stamped number in this bigger font, but hard to make out and the seller is a broker so I can't get better pictures.

Has the circa 1998-2000 TRC.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/195493187467

1999 catalog

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SN F703088

March, 1997, number 88 ?

AST33 GSR

1997 Tokai AST33 Goldstar Sound Stratocaster (Sunburst) | eBay

Seller's Description

Made in Korea in the mid-late 1990's, these Korean factory models are a significant step up from the modern Chinese AST models. Sunburst finish on an alder body with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, it weighs 3.6kg's. All original with the exception of some new Gotoh ferrules and a new 5-way switch, ST-VT1K pickups sound very reasonable for the price.


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