If you’re holding a Morris guitar, you’re holding a piece of Japanese lutherie history. Founded in 1967 by Toshio “Moridaira” in Matsumoto, Japan—the epicenter of Japanese guitar manufacturing—Morris Guitars built a stellar reputation by producing instruments with incredible craftsmanship, balancing vintage Gibson and Martin design cues with their own localized flair.
: Often, the first two digits indicate the year of manufacture (e.g., a number starting with "75" likely means 1975).
Morris is a Japanese brand known for quality acoustic guitars produced mainly from the 1960s through the 1990s (and continuing under various ownerships). Serial numbers are one of several clues used to estimate a Morris guitar’s age, origin, and sometimes model family. Below is a concise guide to reading and using Morris serial numbers plus other tips for identification and dating. morris guitar serial numbers
: Some models use a letter to signify the decade (e.g., "S" for 1970s), though this is more common in US-made instruments and only appeared on specific export Morris models.
MC080123 = March 2008, Chinese factory.
A six-digit number starting with "0" (e.g., 012345) is likely a 1990 or 2000 guitar. Without factory records, these can be off by ±2 years.
Transitioned to rectangular labels containing the model prefix (e.g., W-30, F-15) and the Moridaira manufacturing signature. If you’re holding a Morris guitar, you’re holding
A serial number like 781123 breaks down as: 78: Year of manufacture (1978) 11: Month of manufacture (November) 23: Day of manufacture or production sequence number.
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If the serial number is missing or unreadable, the can provide a range:
If your serial number is faded or ambiguous, the model number itself offers massive clues to narrow down the timeline. Morris used prefixes to denote the body style and inspiration: