I was trying to work out some details about the Korg MS-20 earlier, and found pictures at Matrixsynth. (Naturally.) One that I came across was of MS-20 serial number 141567, which has a note on the page to the effect that it had been on the site previously, which isn’t unusual. So I checked the previous appearance and noticed something odd — in the 2016 (a) pictures there’s no heatsink screw, but in the 2020 (b) pictures there is.
It gets stranger. In the 2016 pics the front-panel screws have plastic washers, which is common; but there are none in the 2020 pics. Both sets of pictures show the serial number, 141567, but they aren’t the same number plate — both the punched and printed numbers are positioned slightly differently, and the W for Watts is in a different position; and the screws are a little different. And I think the punched numbers are different sizes.
On (a) there is one mark on the case around the numberplate which may be a scratch, and it’s not in the (b) picture. There are also some slight textural differences in the plastic ends in some pictures, the sort of thing that you might think was just lighting if there wasn’t reason to doubt.
There are some differences which could have arisen in four years, like rust, scuffs, and marks on the carrying case. But the case would have to have lost what looks like a small abrasion, too.
What are we looking at here? Clearly not the same numberplate, and I don’t think these are the same instrument. Unless Photoshop? No obvious sign of it. And why? Or, one instrument which has been deliberately modified, swapping parts out? Unlikely, as both seem in very good condition. And why would you change the numberplate? Or, I’ve been suspecting for years that there might be some fake synths out there — anything that acquires some value is likely to be forged eventually. But a forgery of this quality would not be remunerative? They both look very much like original MS-20s. So, might Korg have botched printing the serial number? It’s probably the most economical assumption. Odd all the same.
And then, if that could happen once, how many times? A whole batch perhaps? [1] And could this explain some of the inconsistencies that seem to exist around MS-20s’ serial numbers and physical characteristics? Possibly not — or it would need to be a fairly frequent issue, and if so, then why has it not been discussed to death on a hundred synthy fora already? Perhaps this was a unique event. Who knows? [2]
(Update 2024-01-11: I now have photographic evidence of two 134503 MS-10s, so can confirm that this is not a unique event.)
If we accept that it’s a misprint the other issue that comes up is, which one is the misprint? Difficult to say, perhaps, but it might be worth considering the numberplates. There seem to be three types [3], one with no box line round the power ratings (update: this seems to be the export plate), one where the W is printed close to the line and one where it’s further away (update: the latter two seem to be Japanese domestic-market). Dividing the known sample images between these categories:
close-W | far-W | no-line |
---|---|---|
140014 | ||
140090 | ||
140097 | ||
140108 | ||
140163 | ||
140218 | ||
140255 | ||
140277 | ||
140353 | ||
140363 | ||
140367 | ||
140400 | ||
140419 | ||
140426 | ||
140438 | ||
140451 | ||
140466 | ||
140514 | ||
140591 | ||
140611 | ||
140624 | ||
140645 | ||
140665 | ||
140893 | ||
140895 | ||
140934 | ||
141002 | ||
141014 | ||
141056 | ||
141066 | ||
141104 | ||
141118 | ||
141151 | ||
141163 | ||
141213 | ||
141219 | ||
141256 | ||
141272 | ||
141317 | ||
141431 | ||
141445 | ||
141447 | ||
141509 | ||
141532 | ||
141567a | ||
141567b | ||
141575 | ||
141576 | ||
141595 | ||
141605 | ||
141720 | ||
141747 | ||
141783 | ||
141800 | ||
141822 | ||
141832 | ||
141846 | ||
141954 | ||
141968 | ||
142002 | ||
142018 | ||
142029 | ||
142037 | ||
142053 | ||
142064 | ||
142090 | ||
142104 | ||
142113 | ||
142143 | ||
142146 | ||
142273 | ||
142283 | ||
142292 | ||
142319 | ||
142377 | ||
142520 | ||
142525 | ||
142542 | ||
142560 | ||
142567 | ||
142659 | ||
142715 | ||
142726 | ||
142796 | ||
142810 | ||
142811 | ||
142823 | ||
142835 | ||
142863 | ||
142888 | ||
142899 | ||
142912 | ||
142939 | ||
142989 | ||
143005 | ||
143015 | ||
143063 | ||
143175 | ||
143281 | ||
143312 | ||
143314 | ||
143347 | ||
143356 | ||
143371 | ||
143376 | ||
143418 | ||
143473 | ||
143475 | ||
143490 | ||
143502 | ||
143510 | ||
143555 | ||
143566? | ||
143657 | ||
143657 | ||
143694 | ||
143741 | ||
143763 | ||
143980 | ||
144008 | ||
144075 | ||
144132 | ||
144243 | ||
144340 | ||
144419 | ||
144468 | ||
144507 | ||
144571 | ||
144668 | ||
144677 | ||
144764 | ||
144796 | ||
144807 | ||
144809 | ||
144812 | ||
144890 | ||
145003 | ||
145022 | ||
145045 | ||
145056 | ||
145063 | ||
145103 | ||
145125 | ||
145147 | ||
145162 | ||
145169? | ||
145213 | ||
145326 | ||
145359 | ||
145372 | ||
145374 | ||
145452 | ||
145497 | ||
146529 | ||
145565 | ||
145616 | ||
145639 | ||
145695 | ||
145773 | ||
145914 | ||
145930 | ||
145976 | ||
146311 | ||
146323 | ||
146421 | ||
146502 | ||
146504 | ||
146513 | ||
146530 | ||
146656 | ||
146657 | ||
146739 | ||
146774 | ||
146799 | ||
146890 | ||
146898 | ||
146815 | ||
146845 | ||
146861 | ||
146898 | ||
146971 | ||
146984 | ||
146992 | ||
146995 | ||
147040 | ||
147054 | ||
147114 | ||
147120 | ||
147141 | ||
147239 | ||
147262 | ||
147301 | ||
147324 | ||
147325 | ||
147345 | ||
147562 | ||
147577 | ||
147624? | ||
147677 | ||
147735 | ||
147765 | ||
147777 | ||
147855 | ||
147882 | ||
147888 | ||
147891 | ||
147918 | ||
147945 | ||
147963 | ||
147965 | ||
147966 | ||
147969 | ||
147985 | ||
148015 | ||
148025 | ||
148029 | ||
148101 | ||
148126 | ||
148358 | ||
148364 | ||
148421 | ||
148457 | ||
148514 | ||
148721 | ||
148753 | ||
148855 | ||
148878 | ||
148890 | ||
149126 | ||
149201 | ||
149206 | ||
149245 | ||
149286 | ||
149352 | ||
149363 | ||
149394 | ||
149400 | ||
149411 | ||
149500 | ||
149534 | ||
149542 | ||
149560 | ||
149563 | ||
149615 | ||
149668 | ||
149744 | ||
149762 | ||
149850 | ||
149914 | ||
149947 | ||
149968 | ||
149984 | ||
439010 | ||
439021 | ||
439039 | ||
439078 | ||
439093 |
(This table will be updated as and when I see more numbers. Last update 2023-12-12.)
There’s no clear indication of anything here. The “far-W” numberplate type on (b) seems to have fallen out of use in the 3500s, so it’s statistically more likely to be the earlier. But that’s only if there are no more specific factors that could be indicative . . . and perhaps there is:
Given the samples currently known, it seems as though there was a changeover from a close-W batch of plates (possibly including 141567a) to a far-W batch (possibly including 141567b) at this point. What if the changeover was the occasion of the misprint — setting the printer to start at the last old number you have a note of, rather than a new number? Easy to do, and it would result in there being only one duplicate rather than a whole batch, which given that no duplicates seem to have been common knowledge already, seems more likely.
On which basis — especially if this was not only a new box of blank plates, but the division between entire MS-20 batches, with the heatsink screw also changing — 141567b may have followed 141567a in actual order of production. [4] And then, it would be the misprint. (In a sense. Of course, in the same sense, every MS-20 from 141568 up would also be a misprint.)
That being said, a few more samples could give a different impression. It’s only a possibility.
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Notes
- An earlier example of a Korg serial number probably going wrong can be found here; a number seems to have been corrected by hand. ↖
- 2022-07-27: I’ve been told that it’s not a unique event, and am awaiting what I hope will be photographic confirmation of another set of twins. ↖
- This doesn’t include cases where the numberplate is replaced by importers in some countries. ↖
- A similar argument could be constructed for the plastic washers, though they are subject to later removal (or even addition). In practice, before (a), 141532 and 141509 have none, and after (b), 141575 and 141576 do have them, so it doesn’t really work. I’m not generally keeping track of the presence of washers, mostly because few available pics are clear enough. ↖
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