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Early Korg Serials

Posted under Projects at . Last updated 2023-01-22 18:14.
Tags: reference, Korg

I was wondering about MS-20 serial numbers and identifying characteristics. One thing led to another and, well, I started to compile this page. It grew substantially, and the actual MS-20 details are now on a new page:
Korg MS-20 Serials & Characteristics
There is also a more detailed investigation of one particular serial number:
Twynthesisers

Korg used a variety of serial number systems up to about 1984, when the last product catalogue I’ve read came out [1]; the table below attempts to make sense of them. Introduction years given and chronological order are a bit approximate as not all sources are reliably precise. Some serial numbers are linked to sources (mostly Matrixsynth (MS)); the others are mostly from online ephemera. Numbers in bold are devices I have personally examined. Some instruments have appeared online repeatedly; all quasi-permanent appearances found are listed. Where an item is relisted on an auction site by the same seller it will normally be regarded as one appearance, unless additional photos etc. are given. “ⓘ” symbols indicate tooltips with additional information, usually dates or reliability qualifications.

This page will usually be updated as and when I see more numbers. (Additions with durable online sources or pictures welcome.)

Year-based and Other Numbers (c.1966–1981)

Most of the early serial numbers for models introduced up to c.1977 seem to be a two-digit year number followed by a distinct four-digit series for each model (yynnnn). This is shown by the existence of duplicates of the complete numbers e.g. there are two 760051s but they are different models. n.b. this means that serial numbers cannot be used to determine production numbers for these models.

However, some models have either four or five digits, but no year ((n)nnnn).

Sometimes a particular model may change from one system to another, or perhaps use different systems in different national markets; in some cases the importer/rebadger may have used their own serial numbers which are unlike Korg’s.

Several early Korg products were rebadged, mostly as Univox for import to the USA. Some of these seem to use their own numbering.

To some extent, it is possible to determine which national market group a particular device was originally sold in by checking the rated mains voltage. [2] Roughly, that’s 100V — Japan; 117V — North, Central & northern South America, Taiwan; 220V — continental Europe, most of Africa, most of South America; 240V — former British empire countries. [3] In some instances there seem to be distinct serial numbers for the different markets.

modelintro.
year		number typeexamples
Donca Matic Rockmate [4] (beatbox) 1966 nnnnnn
  1. s/n not very legible.
Mini Pops Doncamatic (organ module) yynnnn
Doncamatic Mini Pops 5 (organ module) 1966 yynnnn
Mini Pops 7 /
SR-95 (beatbox)		 1966 nnnnn
yynnnn
Mini Pops 3 /
SR-55 (beatbox)		 1967 yynnnn
  1. Anomalous number; might actually be 69013?
  2. s/n amended manually from 721108.
JR-5 [5] (beatbox) 1971? yynnnn
Mini Pops Junior (beatbox) 1972 yynnnn
Synthesizer Traveler /
F-1 (multi-effects pedal)		 1972? yynnnn
VCF /
Synthe Pedal /
FK-1 [6] (filter module with pedal)		 1973? 5nnn
  1. Difficult to read s/n.
Mr.Multi /
FK-2 [7] (multi-effects pedal)		 1973? yynnnn
K-1 /
miniKORG /
miniKORG-700 (unitary keyboard synthesiser)		 1973 0nnn–
3nnn

K-1 numbers seem not to form a single continuous sequence. Most are 117V models, Univox-branded.

  1. Wrong s/n (2281) in MS title.
  2. This MS article questions whether this is 3342 or 3347; but the synth is identifiable from the scratched rear label as the same as 3342 a1. (Note however that the last picture in a1 is not of the same instrument at all.)
5nnn

5nnn numbers are 100V, Korg branded
6nnn

6nnn numbers are 220V, Korg-branded

  1. 6559 has a Hohner International label. Possibly they acted as distributors in some countries? (Update, 2022-04-14: This is now confirmed with the discovery of a Hohner UK brochure from c.1977 featuring a range of Korg keyboards, beatboxes and pedals.)
7nnn

most 7nnn numbers are 240V, Korg-branded

* 7816 is 230V
K-2 /
miniKORG 2 /
miniKORG-700S (unitary keyboard synthesiser)		 1974 (n)nnnn

Some K-2s seem to use five digits, but some have only four. This mostly looks like a single series, but dropping the leading zero after about 1300. 11423 is an outlier here, and may not be part of the same series. All these are Univox-branded (Univox MiniKorg K-2), imported to the USA; perhaps they used their own numbering for this model?
503nnn

Other K-2s have six-digit numbers. 503- numbers seem all to be 240V Korg-branded, so it’s a national-market thing; but there are other 76-/77- 240V models, so the detail’s not clear.
504nnn?
  • 504024

A so-far unique serial number, for a Korg-branded 220V model which is being sold from Sweden, but has a French label.
510nnn?
  • 510206

Another so-far unique serial number, Korg-branded, 240V.
yynnnn

Some K-2s have year-based numbers:

* 240V MiniKorg 700S;
† 117V MiniKorg 2  According to the plates these are imported by Unicord but they aren’t actually branded Univox.
‡ 220V MiniKorg 700S

  1. Wrong s/n (770345) in MS link & title.
An unresolved question is, what happened to the Japanese market? No 100V K-2s found, so far at least.
K-3 /
MAXIKORG /
KORG-800DV (unitary keyboard synthesiser)		 1974 K-3s have two distinct types of serial numbers, 4-digit and year-based 6-digit. From the year component of the 6-digit numbers it seems possible that they were introduced late in 1975, and that all 4-digit numbers are earlier. Both types appear to have been used in all major national markets.
0nnn

0nnn numbers are Univox- or Unicord-branded, 117V (MaxiKorg):
[57]nnn

5- numbers (and so far only one 7-) are Korg-branded (800DV), and are mostly 100V, except: * 240V, † 220V, ‡ unknown:

  1. 5663 turned up twice in 2017 and again in 2021, the second and third time with a case but otherwise the same pictures. The s/n is difficult to make out; MS says maybe 6668 in a2 text but it looks more like 5663 to me; and the plate seems to also have been misstamped with 5662 during production. With the stamping device having moved on a notch, 5663 seems then to have been added in the right place rather than waste it. So there probably never was a K-3 5662.
yynnnn

Most of the 6-digit numbers are 117V Univox-/Unicord-branded (Maxi-Korg). The remainder are Korg-branded (800DV), * 100V, † 220V, ‡ 240V:
RT-10 (electronic metronome) 1974? nnnnn
WT-10A [8] (electronic tuner) 1975 nnnnnn

The nature of these numbers is not clear. As far as I’m aware this model was not produced in either 1970, the 1980s, or the 1990s.

  • 703903
  • 704130
  • 813745
  • 830769
  • 910867
  • 913428
  • 913849
  • 923613
  • 923695
900PS (unitary keyboard synthesiser) 1975 yynnnn
  1. The year is isn’t quite clear, but looks like 75. The seller states that it had been owned for 45 years, meaning since 1977, but also gives 1975 as the production year.
  2. The serial number fifth digit here is unclear.
SB-100 (unitary keyboard bass synthesiser) 1975 yynnnn
  1. The title at Matrixsynth has the wrong number (150150).
  2. MS has wrong s/n (788122) in title.
Mini Pops 35 (beatbox) 1976 yynnnn
Mini Pops 120(P/W) [9] (beatbox) 1976 yynnnn
Mini Pops SR-120 (beatbox) 1976 yynnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (“80099 or 80039”) in the article text.
K-4 /
PE-1000 /
Poly Ensemble-P (piano-strings keyboard w/ synth voice)		 1976 yynnnn
  1. Could be 780186?
  2. MS has wrong s/n (80253) in article text.
  3. s/n unclear in pic; might be 780484, which is more likely as there is no other example of a 9, and notably few 8s, suggesting that production may have ceased in 1978.
K-5 /
PE-2000 /
Poly Ensemble-S (organ-strings keyboard)		 1976 yynnnn

(see note [10])

  1. MS has wrong s/n (78004) in appearance 2 title.
  2. The 3 given here could actually be an 8.
  3. Difficult to read s/n.
KORG-770 (unitary keyboard synthesiser) 1976 yynnnn
  1. The Matrixsynth post for 770410 suggests that it previously appeared in 2011 but that was actually PE-2000 770410.
  2. MS has the wrong s/n (074530) in the link but the right one in the page title.
  3. MS has wrong s/n (480035) in title. It has to start with a 7, but the picture is unclear; I’m going with 780035, but it could be 780835?
KA-180 (combo keyboard amp) I have no information regarding the KA-180’s introduction date, and only one serial number as yet. This is significantly later than the last other 5-digit serial number. But a user manual is available online, which is stylistically identical to the 770 manual, which may indicate a 1976 date. And the knobs are the same type used on it and the other 1976 models, and early (1977?) M-500s, so this position should be about right.
nnnnn
  • 78059
M-500 /
micro-preset (unitary keyboard preset synthesiser)		 1977 yynnnn

* rebadged as Victor

Early M-500s had the same knob type as Korg 770s and earlier models; later ones (and all M-500SPs) had the same as on the PS-series and later models. The change seems to have occurred in mid-1977, but all ‘Victors’ so far have the early type.

  1. Wrong s/n (770323) in MS link & title. Dents and label can be compared with a2 which clearly is 770329.
  2. Hard to read s/n.
M-500SP /
micro-preset (unitary keyboard preset synthesiser)		 1977 yynnnn
19nnnn

Some M-500SPs have numbers in the upper half of the 19- block, so they might have been placed there by Korg later in the production run after they stopped using year-based numbers, on the basis that they weren’t going to sell more than 5,000 MS-50s? It seems likely that 95245 is one of these, but with a missing leading 1 on its label. Or it could be a missing 7; however — tentatively — given the numbers found so far, it looks as though 79s stopped in 792-. This fits with the 1978 production which also came to two thousand and something. The first digit of 1(?)95782 is not visible, but I’m assuming it fits in here too; it’s possible that it was also missing.
PS-3100 (polyphonic unitary/semimodular keyboard synthesiser) 1977 71nnnn

You would expect the first PS-3100s to have 77- year numbers, but none so far. So perhaps 71- was used for 1977–79 instead. Or it might be a model number introduced late in production, eventually overlapping with the Poly-61. But then, where are the 1977–79 ones? Perhaps someone at Korg had become discontented with colliding numbers in 1975–1977?
yynnnn
PS-3300 (polyphonic semimodular synthesiser) 1977 yynnnn
PS-3010 (keyboard) 1977 yynnnn

Model Numbers (1977–c.1983)

The year-based number system seems to have been retired in 1981. From c.1977–83 new models have six-digit serial numbers where the first two digits are mostly specific to the model. In some instances (presumably the better-selling models) there are additional number blocks.

The last four digits usually seem to be a separate sequence for each model. This is shown by the existence of duplicates of these four digits between models. Consequently the serials should tell us something about production numbers, but we don’t get a production date.

Mostly the numbers were not separate for different national markets. But there are exceptions. Some of the leading digits do overlap between models, but as yet I haven’t noticed any complete duplicates between models.

It seems that the tuners (WT-12, GT-6) don’t follow the same pattern, as indeed, the WT-10A didn’t. However, as yet at least, there are no duplicate numbers, so these are probably in the same numberspace. The other overlaps are with the PK-13 pedalboard and the KR-55B, and there are other question marks around Korg pedals. Perhaps Korg had a slightly different view of tuners and other ‘accessories’ than of keyboards and other more substantial products.

(See the Appendix below for a quick summary of these numbers.)

modelintro.
year		number typeexamples
EM-570 (powered mixer) 1977 11nnnn
SE-500 (tape echo unit) 1977 12nnnn
MS-10 [11] (unitary/semimodular keyboard synthesiser) 1978 13nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (730144) in title for a2.
  2. MS has wrong number (134937) in link & title.
  3. Peculiar; from the pictures this does seem to be MS-10 135041, but the title at Matrixsynth has the serial number 152817, which is not an MS-50 but an SQ-10 . . . in fact, my SQ-10. (boggle emoticon) And there’s a picture of the back of it in the post, which of course is where MS has seen the number. I just found this out seven years later, having owned the SQ-10 since about a week after this went up at Matrixsynth.
  4. MS has the wrong serial number (1703C036) in the link and title.
MS-20 (unitary/semimodular keyboard synthesiser) 1978 14nnnn
439nnn

(see the MS-20s page)
GT-6 (electronic guitar tuner) 1978? 12nnnn?
14nnnn?
15nnnn?
16nnnn?
  • 120365
  • 140518
  • 142102
  • 143900
  • 146540
  • 155899
  • 168477

This appears to overlap with the MS-20s and SQ-10s, but additional numbers might extend that. [12] I have also (2022-09) seen pictures of a GT-6 with a handwritten number 32405 but I doubt that’s its original number; it may be an inventory number.
SQ-10 (step sequencer) 1978 15nnnn
  1. This appearance is identifiable only by box comparison.
  2. This seems to be the SQ-10 in this demo video.
  3. MS has wrong s/n (152097) in title.
  4. Turns out there’s a picture of the back of this at Matrixsynth. See note for MS-10 135041 above. And it also appears at this post, identifiable by dents and scratches.
VC-10 (polyphonic keyboard vocoder) 1978 16nnnn

Early VC-10s misspelled the word RESPONSE as RESPONCE on the front panel. I’m not exactly sure when it was corrected but these images show that it was probably between 160449 and 160469, though 160518 has a C as well; which may be down to reaching the bottom of an older stock pile. However, 160177 has an S.

  1. The s/n (162214) in the MS link is wrong.
MS-02 (control interface) 1978 17nnnn
MS-03 (control interface) 1978 18nnnn
  1. The third digit in the s/n is unclear but there’s a spot of ink that is compatible with a 0 and probably not a 1.
MS-50 (modular synthesiser) 1978 19nnnn
  1. Last digit missing.
  2. MS page title has wrong s/n (90339).
  3. Appeared with SQ-10 151949 this time.
SE-300 (tape echo unit) 1978 20nnnn
PS-3200 (programmable polyphonic semimodular synthesiser) 1978 21nnnn
WT-12 (electronic tuner) 1979? Not sure what’s going on here. The serial numbers are of the model-based type but mostly overlap with other models; it may be that there’s another unknown 22- model too. [13] No collisions so far. [14]
20nnnn
21nnnn
22nnnn
23nnnn
26nnnn
  • 204150
  • 210711
  • 222122
  • 224144
  • 228658
  • 232122?
  • 232784
  • 260193
Lambda /
ES-50 (organ-strings keyboard)		 1979? 23nnnn
  1. MS has 23120 in title, missing 1.
  2. The MS url says this is a Sigma but it’s a Lambda. This has been corrected in the article text.
  3. MS has wrong s/n (231497) in title.
  4. MS has wrong s/n (23887) in title.
Sigma /
KP-30 (polyphonic preset synthesiser)		 1979 Some Sigmas have a four-digit number starting 0, which is usually also printed on a label on the top panel. Others have a six-digit number starting 24. It seems likely that the 0nnn group are part of the same sequence, but leaving off the 24-. [15] n.b. several sellers have written that only 1,000 Sigmas were made, but it looks like being around 3,500 from these results.
0nnn

These were all originally 100V-rated (Japan market).

  1. The MS title and url say Lambda but it’s a Sigma.
24nnnn

All the 24-s are 117V/240V.
KR-55 (beatbox) 1979 25nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (25270) in title.
36nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (366784) in title.
KR-33 (beatbox) 1979 26nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (260268) in title.
X-911 (guitar synthesiser module) 1979 27nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (888825) in title and text: “The listing states SN 271228, but if you look at the bottom pic, you'll see 888825. This is a dealer, so I'm guessing this is just a typo.” Actually the picture is wrong; it seems to be of a Roland RE-201 Space Echo’s numberplate. The X-911 s/n does not appear in the photographs but 271228 is a valid X-911 number, so I’m going with that.
  2. MS has wrong s/n (272672) in title.
Delta /
DL-50 (unitary keyboard synthesiser + string machine)		 1979 28nnnn
PK-13 (bass-pedal keyboard) ? It’s early days with these numbers, but at least two PK-13s overlap (but don’t collide) in 28s with the Delta. But another seems to be 42-, which is not otherwise occupied as yet. There may be another 42- model.
28nnnn?
42nnnn?
SD-400 (BB delay unit) 1979? 29nnnn
  • 290079
  • 290175
  • 290818
  • 292442
SD-200 (BB delay unit) 1979? 30nnnn
  • 301182
  • 302023
  • 302429
WT-3 (Japanese-scale electronic tuner) ? 31nnnn?
  • 317957
CX-3 [18] (electronic organ) 1979 32nnnn
  • 320781
  • 322319
  • 322368
  • 322538
  • 323625
  • 323871
  • 323922
  • 324082
  • 324467
  • 324556
  • 327598
  • 327709
  • 328327 a1
  • 328327 a2
  • 329300
Trident (I) (polyphonic unitary keyboard synthesiser + string machine) 1980 33nnnn
  1. MS gives x for the last digit here as it’s obscured, but I think there’s too much space for it to anything other than a 1 in this font.
  2. The MS title on appearance 2 says it’s s/n 045692. Which it isn’t.
  3. The s/n here is difficult to make out but the instrument doesn’t have some of the dents seen on the earlier appearance of 331792 above so I’m assuming it’s -3.
BX-3 [19] (dual-manual electronic organ) 1980? 34nnnn
  • 340392
  • 340399
  • 341776
LP-10 (electronic piano) 1980 35nnnn
Mono/Poly /
MP-4 (4-voice unitary keyboard synthesiser)		 1981 37nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (371557) in title.
  2. Difficult to read s/n; MS gives 072618 but it must be 372618.
  3. MS page title has wrong s/n (373456).
  4. MS has wrong s/n (873463) in title.
  5. Questionable veracity — see note  [20].
  6. MS has wrong s/n (237991) in title.
  7. MS has wrong s/n (275545) in title.
  8. s/n wrong (075738) in MS title.
  9. MS gives 371565 but I make it 377565.
47nnnn
53 nnnnnn

These don’t seem to be original Korg number plates; presumably Hagström, the importer’s, plates and numbers?
PolySix /
PS-6 (6-voice unitary keyboard synthesiser)		 1981 38nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (3809004) in title.
  2. MS has wrong s/n (186971) in title.
39nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (ZU72723) in the article text, but the actual s/n is visible in a photograph.
46nnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (456042) in title.
  1. Hagström import
There seems to be an overlap in the 39s between the PolySix and the KR-55B. (This may be why there are significantly fewer 39– than 38– Polysixes?) The numbers are a bit clumpy, as if batches of one or the other model were receiving numbers, anything from about 10 to about 1,500 at a time. (These figures may change, but the distribution really doesn’t seem random at this point.)
KR-55B (beatbox) 1982 39nnnn
BPX-3 (bass synthesiser module) 1982? 40nnnn
Trident II (polyphonic unitary keyboard synthesiser + string machine) 1982 41nnnn
EPS-1 (electronic piano + string machine) 1982? 43nnnn
Micro-Six (guitar/bass tuner) ? 43nnnn
49nnnn
  • 439366
  • 492832
SDD-3000 [21] (rackmount ‘digital’ delay unit) 1982? 44nnnn
  • 441357
KPR-77 (programmable rhythm machine) 1982? 45nnnn
49nnnn
  1. Might be 496090?
Some of these numbers look like the earlier year-based numbers, but they were released later than the number would indicate so I assume they are part of the model-number sequence. (So far there are no duplicates.) This could indicate gaps at 48-, 51- to 59-, 61- to 69- and 73- to 79- where I’ve seen no numbers (also, still no 10). They may be out there, but it looks as though at this point Korg just decided to allocate blocks of 100,000. (Not avoiding older numbers, however; so far one collision is known — Mini Pops 3 and Poly-61 702650 — and there are likely to be others.)
SP-80 (electronic piano) 1982? 5nnnnn
  • 503930
SP-80S (electronic piano with strings voice) 1982 6nnnnn
Poly-61 (programmable polyphonic unitary keyboard synthesiser) 1982 7nnnnn
SAS-20 (presets keyboard) 1983 8nnnnn

It looks as though there were more than 10,000 of these made?

Just Numbers (1983–)

After some point in 1983 new models were given six-digit serial numbers which seem just to be numbers 000001-999999 [22] for each model, as a single sequence over the production timespan [23]. (Presumably some products were by now selling so well that blocks of 100,000 seemed likely to be insufficient.) If so, production numbers may be estimable, though then some of the figures are surprising.

modelintro.
year		number typeexamples
GT-60X (electronic guitar tuner) 1983 nnnnnn
  • 013537
  • 051878
  • 070660
  • 107851
  • 112885
  • 123616
  • 123672
  • 140697
  • 164834
  • 172176
KMX-8 (mixer) 1983 nnnnnn
  • 000031
  • 001273
  • 001874
  • 002285
  • 002291
  • 002723
PME-40X (effect pedal chassis/controller) 1983 nnnnnn
  • 000500
  • 000676
  • 001845
  • 004015
  • 004705
  • 005345
  • 010349
  • 010498
Poly-61m (programmable polyphonic unitary keyboard synthesiser) 1984 nnnnnn
PSS-50 (groovebox) 1984 nnnnnn
Poly-800 (programmable polyphonic unitary keyboard synthesiser) 1984 nnnnnn
  1. MS has wrong s/n (047215) in title.
  2. s/n only visible on box.
DDM-110 (programmable rhythm unit) 1984 nnnnnn
  • 000314
  • 005925
  • 008331
  • 011461
  • 016062
  • 016089
  • 016844
  • 019734
  • 019788
  • 024606
  • 024760
  • 026948
  • 028919
  • 029709
DDM-220 (programmable rhythm unit) 1984 nnnnnn
KMS-30 (midi synchroniser) 1984 nnnnnn
  1. Questionable veracity. See note: [24]
CPG-01 (chord demonstrator) 1984 nnnnnn
  • 011660
CPS-01 (chord demonstrator) 1984 nnnnnn
  • 001033
  • 004818
  • 010614
EX-800 (programmable polyphonic synthesiser module) 1984 nnnnnn
MM-25 (powered speaker) ? nnnnnn
  • 000060
  • 001741
  • 002136
  • 002890
AT-12 (electronic tuner) ? nnnnnn
  • 038228
  • 054678
  • 061681
  • 081741
  • 102127
SDD-1000 (rackmount ‘digital’ delay) ? nnnnnn
  • 004967
  • 005604

Known Unknowns

No serial numbers visible on pictures I’ve seen of MS-01s, MS-04s, FK-3s, FK-4s, and FK-5s. I have also examined the slightly later EXP-2, KVP-001, and KVP-002 pedals, and found none. This may be typical for Korg pedals of the time. An exception is the PME-40X — and its modules, which also seem to be “just numbers”, but I haven’t been taking a note of them.

Other models I’ve seen no numbers for include: PS-3040, PS-3050, PS-3060, SM-20, Mini Pops 20S, Mini Pops 45, WT-13, SP-2035 [25], KM-50, Quartz, CPK-01. There was also a KMT-60, a MIDI thru-box which seems to have been released alongside the KMS-30, but I have neither numbers nor date for it.

As a general caveat regarding distribution of these serial numbers, it should be borne in mind that there is an obvious sampling bias, on the basis that the websites I can keep track of are English-language ones; while this includes some results from Japan and occasionally various parts of Europe, the bulk of these numbers are found either on eBay.uk or on Matrixsynth, which predominantly obtains results from eBay.us. Therefore units sold in non-English national markets are likely to be underrepresented. I have no good information regarding original sales proportions in non-English markets, but there seem to be very few results from, for example, Hindi, Spanish, or Swahili markets. It may indeed be that sales in these areas were quite limited in c.1965–1984, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there at all, and more significantly it doesn’t mean that distinctive serial number formats might not have been used, which are not identified in these results to date.

Appendix: “Model Numbers” Summary

(As found. As noted above, some of these correspondences are a little unclear.)

10nnnn? 25nnnnKR-55 40nnnnBPX-3
11nnnnEM-570 26nnnnKR-33, WT-12 41nnnnTrident II
12nnnnSE-500, GT-6 27nnnnX-911 42nnnnPK-13
13nnnnMS-10 28nnnnDelta, PK-13 43nnnnEPS-1, Micro-Six
14nnnnMS-20, GT-6 29nnnnSD-400 439nnnMS-20
15nnnnSQ-10, GT-6 30nnnnSD-200 44nnnnSDD-3000
16nnnnVC-10, GT-6 31nnnnWT-3 45nnnnKPR-77
17nnnnMS-02 32nnnnCX-3 46nnnnPolySix
18nnnnMS-03 33nnnnTrident 47nnnnMono/Poly
19nnnnMS-50 34nnnnBX-3 48nnnn?
20nnnnSE-300, WT-12 35nnnnLP-10 49nnnnKPR-77, Micro-Six
21nnnnPS-3200, WT-12 36nnnnKR-55 5nnnnnSP-80
22nnnnWT-12 37nnnnMono/Poly 6nnnnnSP-80S
23nnnnLambda, WT-12 38nnnnPolySix 7nnnnnPoly-61
24nnnnSigma 39nnnnPolySix, KR-55B 8nnnnnSAS-20

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Notes

  1. After 1984 there seems to be an increasingly numerous and indistinct range of plastic boxes and serial numbers. I don’t feel like I have time to spend on them.  ↖
  2. Note for people used to recent products: In this period linear power supplies were the norm, and setting these up to switch (even manually) between input voltages was regarded as an undesirable expense by most manufacturers. Digital instruments can usually get away with switch-mode power supplies, which can be built to automatically adjust to possible input voltages relatively simply. Even recent analogue instruments are less likely to have national (mains voltage) market differences, due to the use of external power adaptors.  ↖
  3. 220V countries would also include current Chinese empire and former Soviet empire countries, but there may not have been any direct sales there. There are several examples where devices have been converted to a different voltage, including some to 230V. There is also one K1 which does seem to have an original 230V stamp, though I’m not sure where in the world 230V was a standard at the time; perhaps for touring between 220V and 240V areas? Or just a typo.  ↖
  4. The Rockmate was also rebadged as several different brands/model names including Olsen, Lafayette Rockbeat, Knight Combo Sideman, Wexler (see examples here, here, here). To date I haven’t seen any of their serial numbers.  ↖
  5. The JR-5 was Univox-branded and seems to be the same machine as the Mini Pops Junior. Tentatively, we might think it was simply renamed early in 1972?  ↖
  6. The VCF (also called Synthe Pedal) was operated with an FK-1 pedal, and is sometimes listed as the FK-1, which in fairness is actually written on the numberplate. But contemporary Korg catalogues list the FK-1 pedal as separate from the VCF. Confused yet? Well in addition some VCFs seem to be partnered with FK-4 pedals. Make what you will of that.  ↖
  7. There is another Mr.Multi at Matrixsynth which doesn’t seem to have a serial number but does show what may be a 4-digit batch number inside.  ↖
  8. I’m not clear whether the WT-10A and WT-10 are precisely the same thing. Korg themselves seem to do without the A in their current materials but all these examples have it, as did their catalogues at the time. There are slight cosmetic differences between the 7- versions and the 8- and 9- versions.  ↖
  9. The Mini Pops 120 was produced with two case types, a portable version and a not-so-portable woody-cased one. I’m assuming that these are the versions listed in the Korg catalogue as 120P and 120W, and have added the suffixes accordingly.  ↖
  10. The MS article Korg Poly Ensemble S String Synthesizer PE-2000 K-5 SN 03044 (2012-02-18) shows another K-5. While the title claims this is s/n 03044, it should be a six-digit number, probably starting with a year 76- to maybe 79-. However, I can’t make it out. The label saying 03044 seems to be an inventory number added by a studio. (Sentience Studio, from which other clearer labels also appear in several MS articles.)  ↖
  11. The service manual for the MS-10 states that the noise circuit was changed starting with s/n132828. (This implies that Korg used incrementing serial numbers.) It also indicates that the first MS-10 was 130000 rather than 130001, which implies that this may have been normal for the “model-number” series.  ↖
  12. The GT-6 appears in the Korg 1978 brochure with the MS-20 and MS-10. In Korg’s interview with Mieda Fumio and Nishijima Hiroaki, they state that it was developed concurrently with the original MS-series models, but I have no specific information regarding order of introduction. I’m placing it between the MS-20 and SQ-10 on the basis of serial numbers found to date, but there may be more to come . . .  ↖
  13. PS-3060 perhaps?  ↖
  14. Possibly, having used up the 22- block, someone decided they weren’t going to sell more than a thousand Stage Echo 300s or PS-3200s, so they might as well use the spare numbers; but the 23- and 26- numbers are a bit intermingled with the later Lambdas and KR-33s.  ↖
  15. Rationale: No duplication found yet between the 0nnn and 24nnnn, and it’s beginning to look like there may be disproportionately few 240nnns. (Update: As more numbers have accumulated it appears that there are even fewer 242nnns, which brings that into doubt. More examples needed.)  ↖
  16. This Delta is for sale (or to be exact, a Delta is for sale using these pictures) twice at 2023-01-04 by two different sellers purportedly in two different parts of Japan, at significantly different prices. Even the cheaper of which is way too high, but never mind that.  ↖
  17. This Delta (or another but using the original photos) is being sold again on eBay by two different sellers at slightly different prices, both purportedly in Japan at 2023-01-08. (Update: It’s also for sale by another seller on 2023-01-12.)  ↖
  18. A digital revision of the CX-3 was released in 2001, which has a six-digit number type. They are also visually distinct.  ↖
  19. A digital revision of the BX-3 was released in c.2001. They are visually distinct. No s/ns seen yet.  ↖

  20. Entertainingly (not the first time), at 2022-05-15, two different sellers are claiming to be selling this keyboard from locations several hundred miles apart in Japan, with the same text and pictures, but at different prices. This time, the secondfirst seller has rotated most of the pictures 90°, presumably to give the impression of being at right-angles to sincerity. However, it’s the first one up which claims to be “licensed by the Japanese Police Department” and to have an authorisation number. Authorisation for what, of course, is not stated.

    (Update, 2022-05-22:) The descriptions on those two instances have disappeared today, leaving a blank space. (Update, 2022-05-26: Actually there’s been a code change at eBay; all descriptions have disappeared.) But it’s for sale twice again, for a total of four concurrently. In the fourth version the location is given as “JP, Japan” rather than Tokyo or Gifu, but postage is from “Greater China”. (Hey, Japan, isn’t that reassuring? (boggle emoticon)) And “Japan, Japan”, in the third, though this seller does provide a detailed address in Saitama; this may be the original source? In which case it was the first seller noted who rotated some pics. The impression of originality is reinforced by having the highest price of the set.  ↖

  21. A pedal (rather than rack) version of the SDD-3000 with later-type serial numbers was released in 1984 or later.  ↖
  22. At least, we have two or more numbers under 100.  ↖
  23. (Update:) This seems to be demonstrated by the existence of DDM220 and EX-800 005117.  ↖
  24. This KMS-30 appears twice on eBay at 2022-09-25 at different prices and purportedly from different sellers at different addresses in Japan. There is no clear indication that this not an arrangement between genuine sellers, but it raises flags.  ↖
  25. I suspect these are the 10- block on grounds of proximity to the EM-570.  ↖

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