Once you know the name brand of your piano, you will need to find the serial number. Step 1: The serial number is usually found on the plate of the piano between the bass and tenor strings. It can also be found on the top of the piano when you open the lid on Upright Pianos. You are looking for a number like those shown here. Yamaha Piano Serial Numbers Yamaha was founded by Tarakusu Yamaha in 1887, the company was originally named Nippon Gakki S.K.K. But was later renamed to Yamaha in 1916 when Tarakusu passed away. Yamaha was the first piano manufacturer in Japan.
You will need 2 things to determine the age of your piano:
1. The brand name of the piano.
Note: Some pianos will have more than one name for the manufacturer. For example: 'Hamilton' by Baldwin or 'Cable Nelson' by Everett. To make sure that you have all of the information you will need, open the lid of your piano and check out the name or names engraved or printed on the plate. Do NOT trust the name on the outside of the piano since in could have been refinished and a different name added.
2. 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. Almost all of them include the serial number on the plate in a small 'window' near the tuning pins. The number will usually be a 4 to 7 digit number, but may include a letter or two. If you can't locate it here, look inside to the far left or far right as some manufacturers attach it there on a small piece of metal. It may be stamped in the wood under the lid, or as a last resort, pull the piano away from the wall and look on the back.
To locate the serial number on a grand piano, take the music desk off. It's usually stamped on the pinblock here. Also look on the soundboard, many of the manufacturers will include it inside one of the 'windows' in the plate.
After you have located the manufacturer's name and the serial number, you have two options.
Either contact me and I will be GLAD to look up the age for you,
or check out some of the links that I've included to see if you can find it yourself on the internet.
I do not do appraisal values over the internet or phone.
The serial numbers given on this site, located next to the year, is the LAST piano made during that year. They are not complete lists, but has many, many pianos included:
http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/serial1.htm#TOP and http://www.concertpitchpiano.com/SerialNumberUpright.html
Where to locate the serial number on your piano:
www.pianoatlas.com
List of Piano brands with their serial numbers and age:
www.bluebookofpianos.com
Yamaha Serial Number Identification
Find the age of your Yamaha piano here:
usa.yamaha.com