How to Find a Serial Number on a Spinet Piano
The serial number on a piano is primarily used to determine its age, which can be useful to you, for example, when trying to assess its overall value. As with most pianos, finding the serial number on your spinet piano can be tricky if you don't know where to look, and each manufacturer does things a little differently. Fortunately, depending on the type of piano, there are certain places where manufacturers are most likely to place the serial number. Follow these steps, and you're likely to find it.
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Instructions
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Finding the serial number
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1
Open the top piano lid. For most spinets, the lid pushes open from the front with a small amount of force. On others, the "lid" might be the entire top of the console. Every design is a little different. Prop the lid, if necessary, to keep it from closing back on you.
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2
Look on the piano's cast-iron plate (often painted gold). The spinet is a small upright piano, and most uprights have the serial number stamped directly on the plate near the top, or imprinted in small window. (See Reference 1) If you cannot see the plate by opening the lid, you might want to remove the front of the console, which, like the lid, usually pulls off with a small amount of force.
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If the serial number is not found near the top of the plate, the next place to look is on the inside of the lid itself. (See Reference 2) If your piano opens with several hinged parts, look inside each hinged panel. You are looking for an imprinted number, either on a small plate or on the wood itself.
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If you still don't find the serial number, look on the back of the piano, near the top left and right corners. Occasionally manufacturers imprint the serial number on one of these corners. (See Reference 2)
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If the serial number is in none of these places, the last place you might look is back on the front plate, near the bottom. The lower front panel (beneath the keys) usually pulls off with a little force. See if the serial number is imprinted on the plate, or on the wood frame.
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If all these steps fail to reveal a serial number, the manufacturer has either hidden it in an odd place, or it does not have one. Contact the manufacturer or a certified piano technician for more information.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes other numbers are found within the piano, like a part number, so double-check to make sure you have the serial number (it is almost always 5 to 7 digits long, sometimes containing one or more letters). If you see an actual date cast into the plating, it is likely the manufacturer's founding date, not the date the piano was built.
If you must move the piano to locate the serial number on the back, never try to do it by yourself. Pianos are heavy and can easily cause a variety of injuries. Always try to push or pull with the pressure on your legs rather than your back. If you are prone to injury, get some friends (or better yet, a professional) to help you.
