Washburn force 4, origin?

[JulianIbiza]

Can anyone please tell me any information about my electric bass Washburn Force 4, serial number 831144,  especially manufacturing and providence? Thank you

[Tony Raven]

Korea, probably 1983.

[Mbechmann]

Korea, probably 1983.

Sorry but thats not correct. These are actually very interesting. They are build using some parts from Yamaki, and sometimes Chushin hardware. They are assembled by Chushin in Japan.

For this to be Korean it wouldnt need a serial number - and yet alone a Yamaki serial number

[Tony Raven]

a Yamaki serial number

How can you be certain it's "a Yamaki serial number"? Did they trademark all six-digit numbers?

[Mbechmann]

a Yamaki serial number

How can you be certain it's "a Yamaki serial number"? Did they trademark all six-digit numbers?

Actually by Japanese law since 1973 all instruments leaving ANY factory complete had to have a unique serial number. So they didnt need to trademark the serial numbers. By law they had to have one.

[Tony Raven]

a unique serial number.

Well, "unique" as in "the only time that number would be used by the company"? or as in "the only time that number would be used, ever, in the history of the nation of Japan"?

Bad enough if the ff the former: a six-digit number scheme means that the company would never be able to manufacture more than a million instruments -- 000000 through 999999. Seeing as Lyon & Healy claimed in 1892 to produce 100,000+ instruments annually, it seems unlikely a modern mass-manufacture company would tie themselves down to a mere million for all eternity.

FWIW, my trusty Univox (bought new in 1974) is numbered 1005945 -- clearly THEY were thinking ahead.