Dealers Enquiries Are Welcome

Finding a Serial Number on the Piano

Pianos almost always have a serial number somewhere. They can be in unusual places and the diagrams below will shows some of the places to find the serial number. Dates that are cast into the plate of a piano are dates when the company was founded and not dates for the particular piano. Usually the serial number has 5 to 7 digits but may have fewer or more and many Asian manufacturers may include a letter. Some letters are important while others are not. Some piano have other numbers stamped on them that are used in the manufacturing process.

Upright Piano


Upright or vertical piano serial numbers can usually be located by lifting the piano lid and looking inside on the gold iron cast or plate. In the drawing the upper front panel has been removed, for clarity, but it's usually not necessary to do that. Also the hammers and action are not shown. Arrows below point to possible locations where serial numbers may be found on various brands.

The S1 location is where most older upright and some newer ones have its serial number. This oval may actually be a hole in the iron cast, through which the number can be seen. Whereby S2 are some newer pianos have their serial number there.

But if you can't easily find the serial number in these places, it may be stamped on the back of the piano near the top, either on a little plaque or on the wood itself. (Refer to photo below)


And sometimes on newer or imported pianos the serial number is printed on one of the hammers, near either end of the piano. It can also be printed on one of the keys inside the piano (behind the nameboard) and can be seen by removing the upper front panel. Sometimes, however, in spite of your best efforts, a serial number will prove elusive, even to professionals who know where to look.

If you still can't find your piano serial number or if it doesn't have a serial numbers therefore the exact age can not be determined.

Click on the diagram for a much better view.

Grand Piano

Grand serial number may be found in a many different places. Arrows on the diagram, point to some possible locations. This is a view of the grand with the lid open and the music desk removed. It may be necessary to clean dust of the iron cast or soundboard before the serial number can be seen.

Click on the diagram for a much better view.

Once you find the serial number, feel free to contact us to assist you in finding out the year your piano was built.