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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.mandohangout.com/archive/26405
tjsider - Posted - 02/10/2012: 08:16:58
I have a kay mando, serial # L9163 464. Are the last 3 digits the mo and yr of manufacture?
Ben Venuti - Posted - 02/10/2012: 09:29:57
Surprising little information out there about Kay serial numbers. I've had some K stuff over the years and I just guessed. I have seen that 464 before. Tear drop? Fholes? Pressed Blond top? Laminated maple back and sides possibly with a reddish stain? Sometimes they had a red burst. My guess is that that is possibly a model # or some other kind of tracking number useful only to the manufacturer and doesn't indicate the date of manufacture. Bass guys had some info on serial # 's. I don't know if that would be useful information for mandolins. Kay/Harmony made thousands and thousands of instruments under a bunch of different names. Sometimes they had a number on a label,sometimes they used a rubber stamp inside somewhere and sometimes there is nothing at all. If you search and search and come up with nothing this would be a great project for someone to take on,recreate Kay serial #'s. Not for me mind you but maybe you. If you can post a picture -- Kay did change up their styling and construction enough over the years that you can get an idea of the date of manufacture by looking at it..
Ben Venuti - Posted - 02/10/2012: 10:13:04
I looked at Kay's website and they have old catalogs beginning in the early 50's. Kind a cool to look over. Biggest manufacturer of musical instruments in it's day --My guess is that since it has the no.64 in the Serial # it's a model 64. The model 64 has an all laminated maple body, --top included and are shown with a burst. The model 68 had a spruce top and is shown as blond.
Jim Sallis - Posted - 02/10/2012: 11:02:45
As BV says, Kay serial numbers are pretty obscure. Photos of the headstock, body, and label (if any) can usually narrow things down quite a lot -- as he says, lots of changes through the many years. But often there are a few tells.
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