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Usually four to eight digits, the serial number is most often located near the tuning pins, either printed directly on the plate or engraved in the wooden pinblock and showing through a cut-away portion of the plate.
How do you read a piano serial number?
Piano Serial Numbers: Location, location, location 1) On the piano’s cast iron plate. 2) Under the opened lid on the ledge, stamped on a little plaque, to the right or to the left. 3) Stamped on the back of the piano; near the top of the wood frame.
Where is model number on upright piano?
Upright or vertical piano serial numbers can usually be found by lifting the lid and looking inside on the gold harp or plate. It is usually not necessary to remove the upper front panel to find the serial number (as in this picture).
How do you tell what year a piano is?
Many pianos will have a 4, 5 or 6 digit serial number to identify the age of the piano. Using this number, along with the manufacturer, the age of the piano can sometimes be determined. The areas to look for these numbers vary from each company but here are some common places to look along with some photos.
How do I know what piano I have?
Open the lid and look above the keyboard area. Look in front of the soundboard in either corner. Look along the inside plate holes or it may be in one of the circles stamped into the soundboard. The number may be stamped under the piano.
Is there a blue book for pianos?
The Bluebook of Pianos is an invaluable handbook for anyone who owns or plans to buy a piano. After an illustrated discussion of piano structure that explains the workings of both grand and upright pianos, the book gives careful advice for purchasing a new or used piano.
Where is the serial number on a Marshall and Wendell piano?
Try looking at the very right front part of the plate, in the corner nearest the highest treble tuning pins. If the serial number is there, it is very small and faint, stamped onto the plate in black ink. We had the piano evaluated by a piano technician.
Where is the serial number on a story and Clark piano?
The serial numbers printed on each piano are referenced with the age of the unit, relating to the year of the piano’s manufacture. The number can be seen stamped on the cast iron plate near the tuning pins, on the key stop rail, and/or on the soundboard.
Where is the serial number on a Kohler and Campbell piano?
Serial numbers can be seen either on the inside cover of the instrument or above the iron plate on the left or right side.
How do you date an old piano?
You will need 2 things to determine the age of your piano: The brand name of the piano. Note: Some pianos will have more than one name for the manufacturer. The serial number (NOT the model number) of the piano. To locate the serial number on a vertical piano, open the top and look inside.
Are Chickering pianos any good?
Although unique, a properly restored Chickering is a superior instrument. Chickering pianos are desirable for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship, deep rich tone quality, and attractive designs, making restoration and preservation well worth the effort and expense.
How do I find the value of a used piano?
Appraisers of used pianos and other consumer goods typically use three different methods to determine fair market value: comparable sales, depreciation, and idealized value minus the cost of restoration.
Where is serial number on Kimball piano?
Kimball pianos sometimes have the serial number in a hard-to-find place stamped on the back edge of the keybed. This is looking from the tail end of the piano.
How much does a 100 year old upright piano weigh?
while smaller upright pianos such as consoles and spinets, usually weigh in the 300 to 500 lbs range. Old, full-size upright pianos built in the late 19th and early 20th century can be exceedingly heavy and may weigh more than many popular grand piano models! These large pianos weigh anywhere between 500 and 700 lbs.
How much is a 40 year old upright piano worth?
Upright Player Pianos Years old Retail Over 40 30-40 20-30 10-20 $500-$1500+ $1000-$2000+ $3000-$8000+ $4000-$10000+ Value greatly depends on condition and the make of the piano.
How much is an old upright piano worth?
Most antique, upright pianos are worth $500 or less in very good condition. This is because a piano is actually a machine. Each of the parts have been submitted to wear throughout the life of the piano. This means that each of these parts may need specialized restoration to bring them back to their usefulness.
How much does it cost to have a piano appraised?
A good report and appraisal based on an onsite inspection of the instrument might cost $150 or more, but is well worth the expense for the peace of mind it can bring to the potential buyer of a high-end piano.
Where is the serial number on a Steinway piano?
On Steinway grand pianos the serial number can be found on the cast iron plate between the tuning pins above the keyboard. On Steinway upright pianos the serial number can be located on top of the wrestplank above the cast iron plate when you open the lid.
How do I know if my piano keys are ivory?
Ivory keys are made in three pieces–key, stem and front, where as plastic keytops only have two pieces–the top and front. If you look closely at the keys, you can see the fine line that is the joint between the keytop and the stem. If this line is present, your keys are indeed ivory.
How much are story and Clark pianos worth?
While many Story & Clark pianos found today are newer and not in need of restoration, the early 20th century and late 1800 models can range in value from $500-1,000 unrestored.
Does Kohler and Campbell still make pianos?
The Kohler & Campbell name was first sold in 1985 to California firm, Sherman Clay, and eventually sold to the Samick Music Corp., who continue to manufacture these pianos today in South Korea and Indonesia.
Are Kohler and Campbell pianos any good?
Kohler & Campbell is one of the most famous and largest American piano-making companies. Campbell made it the very essence of the company – “the best value for the dollar.” This definitely made the company a great competitor in the field of making and selling pianos.
How old is a piano?
The piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Italy. Cristofori was unsatisfied by the lack of control that musicians had over the volume level of the harpsichord. He is credited for switching out the plucking mechanism with a hammer to create the modern piano in around the year 1700.
How much is an old player piano worth?
The Average Value of a regular, unrestored Upright Player Piano varies from about $200-$2000, depending on the type/quality of the cabinet and the reputation of the manufacture. Non-name brand units with all straight lines are the most common and the least valuable.
How much does it cost to refurbish a piano?
Rebuilding a piano is a large, time-consuming project that can take almost as much time as the construction of a new instrument by the original manufacturer. Quality rebuilding work is very expensive, easily ranging from $25,000 to $40,000, or even more, for a first-class restoration of a high-quality instrument.
