Same trajectory as other imported brands, such as Kentucky. Don't confuse current Washburn instruments, with those sold by Lyon & Healy out of Chicago, 75-100 years ago.For what it's worth, Washburn mandolin production from the 1970s to the late 1980s was in Japan, then they moved to Korea, and about ten years ago moved again to China. Don't confuse current Washburn instruments, with those sold by Lyon & Healy out of Chicago, 75-100 years ago.Ĭountry of origin is People's Republic of China, I believe. Specs on the M3sw say it's all-solid-woods, carved spruce top, maple back/sides.Ĭountry of origin is People's Republic of China, I believe. We cannot guarantee that we are able to date your instrument.

Washburn can only identify instruments via email, and with a clear digital photograph and serial number. Washburn maintains limited production records. We recommend visiting our Guitar Archives and viewing the annual catalogs to find the closest match.

If the instrument does not have a serial number, it is likely a factory prototype or sample, and it is impossible to gauge its exact age. There is no serial number information or tracking capability for pre-1978 models. Instruments with serial numbers that have 4 characters are from the 1970's and early 1980's.įor instruments produced after 2010, usually the first 4 digits can indicate the year of manufacture. Instruments with serial numbers that have 5 characters or less are typically from the 1980's. Instruments with serial numbers that have 5 or more characters are from the late 1980's-2000's You can confirm the year of manufacture by visiting our guitar archives reference pricelists/ catalogs. For example, 8901827 indicate the instrument was made in 1989, 1988, or 1998. The year of manufacture can be deduced from the first few numerical characters in the serial number.Įither the first 2 digits, or the first digit, are typically used to identify the year of manufacture. Washburn has used many serial number formats over the years, ranging from 4-12 characters long. How can I date/identify my Washburn instrument? Here's what the Washburn website says about serial numbers:

Serial numbers for washburn guitars