console . Just because a guitar is Chinese made does not mean it is poor quality. So I tend to think the guitars don’t mind where they are made, so long as they were made carefully and skillfully with the maker keeping the musician’s best interests in mind. Sometimes it can happen that you find two different serial numbers inside the body. Nov 13, 2019 #1 Ok I watched a review of the PRS Hollowbody Standerd. Made in Japan Yamaha Music Craft 1997 – 1999. Hope that helps. Welcome. Let me make one thing very clear though. The midrange models are made in Taiwan or Korea depending on the model. The first Taiwanese productions had both Japanese-made parts and new Taiwan-made ones. The lower end models are made in Indonesia or China. Philip did the review. You can visit outgoing links via the links page and contact me through the contact form on the contact page. Around 1971 Yamaha moved the production of acoustic guitars from Japan to Taiwan. I really like Yamaha guitars - even the cheapest FS is the best thing ou can get for the money. China Acoustic Guitar wholesale - Select 2021 high quality Acoustic Guitar products in best price from certified Chinese Guitar manufacturers, Musical Instruments suppliers, wholesalers and factory on Made-in-China… Last edited: Nov 13, 2019. This site is not affiliated to the Yamaha Corporation. Reactions: sixesandsevens and Antmax. Samick also has a line of guitars that are made in China. I played an inexpensive Yamaha classical guitar in college 30+yrs ago and it held its own against $10,000 Ramirez guitars. Yamaha 350 Member. The plywood of vintage Yamaha guitars were made differently than today’s plywood. ... Made in China? The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”, would apply to any purported American guitar in a lower price range. The Chinese have long been dogged by claims of counterfeiting and piracy, and it is true that many “fake” Fenders and Gibsons have been purchased online by unsuspecting consumers. Powers: I haven’t heard a guitar speak in Spanish, English, French, Japanese, Korean, or any language from a country where a guitar was made. A lot of very familiar brand names source their guitars from China to keep production costs low and enable us, you and me to buy a quality guitar at a reasonable price. All the layers of the top are tone wood, not a cheap wood filler. The second letter in the month. Messages 7,065. I know Yamaha has their own factories in Taiwan and Japan but the others are probably outsourced. I wouldn't worry about where they're made, Yamaha seems to churn out good stuff no matter what factory does it. cap10kirk Member. The 3 numbers are the unit number. As a result, the quality of these guitars is on par with the best of the best guitars (even American made guitars), despite the fact that Eastman guitars are made in China. In terms of the types of guitars they produce, their most notable guitar is the Eastman SB59 which is their take on a Gibson Les Paul style guitar. When did paul start having guitars to be made in China? I made this site to share my passion for vintage Yamaha guitars. Parts and materials from the factory in Japan were also shipped to the new factory. Made in Japan Yamaha Music Craft 1999 – The first letter is the year. This is the same system as used for “Made in Japan Custom Shop 1991 – 1996” except that the unit number started at 501 except for 701. Therefore there would be no market for a fake Yamaha . Far from it. That classical guitar was made in China even way back then. the keyword there being ‘quality’. The top has 3 layers, thin top and bottom plies and a thick mid ply (oriented perpendicular to the top and bottom plies), making it hard to tell that it isn’t solid wood. Messages 8,345. On this website I show you my own collection of vintage Yamaha guitars and tell you some handy facts & figures.