Early Kentucky Mandolin Owners! Pre 1991 Serial Number Data Base

[dwiegardt]

Please join the group (Early Kentucky Mandolin Pre 1991) and help develop the first serial number data base for the early Kentucky mandolins. I am an owner of two early Kentucky Mandolins and I love them! I am wanting to produce a data base of known instruments pre 1991 to help reduce the confusion of production sequence and help establish a dating system that will be fairly accurate. I have started with a few of you already, but, if you have not already been contacted by me for this information, please help us out and provide the following information in private message:

1. Model number (KM-1000, KM-1500, KM-2000, KM-Dawg, KH1300)
2. Serial number if it has one, 1979 and 1980 KM-1500s may not have a label, but all the information that you have is valuable.
3. Case type and interior color (Oblong, Red interior)
4. Date and location of purchase
5. Name of person purchased from if available
6. Your Name and contact information

If there is any other items that you feel might be helpful, please don't hesitate to include them. I work full time and am under taking this project in my spare time, so it may be slow going, but slow and steady wins the race.

Thanks so much for your help!

[dwiegardt]

This is what I have so far for the KM-1000

Year	Month	1st Digits	2nd Digits	3rd Digit	Notes
?		010	10	none
1980	July	206	09	none	Original Rectangle case with Blue interior
?		207	07	none	Original Rectangle case with Blue interior
1981		212	09	none
1981		81	10	16
1984		84	7	40
1984		84	9	34	Verified by Sumi in 2007 at IBMA
1984		84	9	37

[dwiegardt]

This is what I have so far for the KM-1500

Year	Month	1st Digits	2nd Digits	3rd Digits	Notes
1979	?	?	?	?	No Tag inside but was reported to be one of the earliest built with Sumi, Original rectangle case with red lining
1981		205	12	none	Purchased at the 5th String in San Francisco in 1981
?		211	30	none	Owner located in the UK
?		224	48	none
?		225	31	none	Sold at Elderly 9-10-13
1984		84	2	11	Original rectangular case with green lining
1991		SM	91603	none

[dwiegardt]

This is what I have so far for the KM-2000 and KM-DAWG

Year	Month	1st Digits	2nd Digits	3rd Digits	Notes
1984		841	39	none	KM-DAWG model - For Sale on eBay 9-12-13, Original Tan Superior case with green lining
1984		84	2	24	This is a KM-DAWG model
1991		91106	none	none	This is a KM-2000 model. KM-2000s were only made between 1991 and 1995. Gold label inside the instrument says: Saga Musical Instruments" "Kentucky Mandolin" "style km-2000" (hand written) "number 91106" (hand written)

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I think this is a great project, but maybe you can share some background info on your project: who you are, what you're trying to accomplish, and what you plans are for the information you gathered (published it online?). Even on this very sharing and open community, I think you will find it easier to gather the information you're looking for if folks are assured that their information will be safeguarded and go to good use. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck with the project - there's such a lack of information regarding these early Kentucky that I hope your project will be able to fill the gaps of knowledge.

[dwiegardt]

I am a musician and a mandolin enthusiast. I own two early Kentucky mandolins and have developed a fascination with the serial number sequences of the early Kentucky KM-1000, KM-1500, KM-DAWG, KM-2000, and KH-1300. I have been asking for valuable information needed to develop a system for dating these instruments. Many have also been kind enough to provide their names and city of residency as well as the name and location of previous owners. Locations that the instruments were purchased is also information that has been gathered. I have put these all together into a spread sheet with the serial number and approximate date or believed date they were built. It seems that the original case has a great deal to do with the time period of the various models. I think I would like to know where and when my mandolins were built and who owned them previously. If for no other reason, than to have a history of the instrument. these specific mandolins are, in my estimation, some of the best sounding of the period and should be treated as something special. If you feel like your information will be miss used, than I can understand and would not want you to share your information with me. If you, on the other hand are just as curious and just as passionate about the early model Kentucky like I am, than please share your information and lets dispel the cryptic code of the serial numbering and maintain a owners history of these revered instruments. Some have asked "Doesn't the KM-850 count?" At first I thought "No, It doesn't count" but as I thought more, the other instruments of the period may lend a clue into the numbering scheme that was being used. So if you have an early model Kentucky instrument of the 1979-1991 era, your information may be valuable as well. The only reason that the dates for the information gathered goes to 1991 rather than later, is that by then, the majority of the serial numbers can be deciphered. I am slowly gathering information a little at a time, and I know some of you who started this previously could be a big help.

Thanks barrangatan for your interest and the 2 cents.

Eventually I want to provide this information to Scott Zimmerman of the Desert Rose, so the information is available to all the owners if they want it.

[fatt-dad]

Are you including the lowly mij km-250s and such?

f-d

[dwiegardt]

Sure! Could you please include the original case type ie: rectangle, tan with blue interior. Year serial number and year you purchased it.

thank you!

[Dennis Ladd]

dwiegardt

Here's my info. I have an early Kentucky KM1000. Serial number 103 11. The case has a blue interior and a rounded, convex top. I have (I hope temporarily) lost all my instrument receipts so I don't have an exact date of purchase but it was ordered from Saga Musical Instruments in San Francisco and sent to me in Hawaii. The date would be early 80s. It has one of the old tailpieces that they no longer use so it needs work by a luthier to fill and redrill the hole to put in a new tailpiece. [That's one reason I want to sell it for $500].

Anyway ... I am Dennis Ladd, e-mail is the best contact at dladd@swlaw.edu or mandodenny66@verizon.net. This is a great project!

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Check out Steve Sorensen's KM-DAWG in the classifieds!

[dwiegardt]

Check out Steve Sorensen's KM-DAWG in the classifieds!

Thanks, I have Steve's KM-DAWG Info in the data base.

[dwiegardt]

dwiegardt

Here's my info. I have an early Kentucky KM1000. Serial number 103 11. The case has a blue interior and a rounded, convex top. I have (I hope temporarily) lost all my instrument receipts so I don't have an exact date of purchase but it was ordered from Saga Musical Instruments in San Francisco and sent to me in Hawaii. The date would be early 80s. It has one of the old tailpieces that they no longer use so it needs work by a luthier to fill and redrill the hole to put in a new tailpiece. [That's one reason I want to sell it for $500].

Anyway ... I am Dennis Ladd, e-mail is the best contact at dladd@swlaw.edu or mandodenny66@verizon.net. This is a great project!

Great! Thanks Denis! Your KM-1000 is likely to be from 1980-81, from the information on hand. The serial numbers started changing in 1981 to a three number scheme, (81.10.16), but there are very few in our data base at the moment with the starting numbers 81.xx.xx.

[mrkrgr]

How about a KM250S serial number 20714. I have no idea on the origin. I bought it for 75.00$ yesterday. I took it a part, including the tuners, and reassembled it. It sounds great and now it plays well too. It has really small frets, I'll have to get used to them.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Dwiegardt, about a year ago, there was another thread about those nice instruments. You might want to pm Mike Aehle (user name "Aehle"), who is apparently also collecting information on Kentuckys.
4 years ago, I sold a KH-Dawg to a friend, #8310.38. It was originally sold in München (Munich)/Germany and came in a tan Superior case with yellow lining. That mandola is mostly original. There is a glued/spliced center glue joint in the back. The original Gotoh pearloid tuner buttons crumbled to pieces and are replaced. Hope that helps.

[randygwatkins]

here is a thread on the KM850, reading through it there are several serial numbers tied to the history of the instruments, and some good info from Desert Rose on the history of the higher grade Kentucky models from Japan:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ighlight=km850

[ThorneSwift]

How about a KM250S serial number 20714. I have no idea on the origin. I bought it for 75.00$ yesterday. I took it a part, including the tuners, and reassembled it. It sounds great and now it plays well too. It has really small frets, I'll have to get used to them.

Ours are similar my 250S is # 21734

[tryingtopick]

Greetings, interesting I have never seen this post from six years ago. Perhaps it is best located in the "Looking for Information about Mandolins " section? I have a number of 80s Maruko factory Master Model instruments in my collection, and have occasionally made note of serial numbers of those offered for sale over the years. I share your vision that a list of serial numbers and corresponding details would be helpful to the process of cobbling together some history of this wonderful Saga factory and the dedicated craftsmen who delivered some great mandolins to a receptive marketplace. Please stay tuned for more details. Sam Rawlins, Atlanta, GA

[Guitfiddle Mike]

Hey guys, I just acquired what I was told is a Sumi Km-1500.
Serial # 89302.
Not sure if this falls into your era of interest. I understand Sumi was involved with the 1500's until 1993. Any info on my mandolin would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mike

[Guitfiddle Mike]

Here are pics of the case it came in. They seem to be of interest too.

[rossmando]

Does anyone have a km-1000 with a serial number like…. 08110315. ? What year and country of origin?