One of the primary ways you can begin to investigate the value of your piano is by locating the serial number. The serial number is considered your piano’s birth certificate, and it is the way the original manufacturer assigned it a unique.
Kimball piano factory was one of the largest manufacturing operations in the world, with rail lines running through the facility, dropping off raw materials and picking up finished pianos for shipment. Kimball was the world's largest piano manufacturer from the late 1800s until the Great Depression of the 1930s. This Kimball was actually built in 1907 according to the serial number you gave me. Kimball pianos often included pictures on the underside of the lid that were related to various happenings to include patent dates or models coinciding with a big event of the time, like an expo. This division started as a piano dealership in Chicago in 1857 as W.W. Kimball and Company by William Wallace Kimball (1828–1904). In 1864, Kimball moved from its earliest location in the corner of a jewelry store to sales rooms in the Crosby Opera House where Kimball sold pianos made by East Coast piano makers Chickering and Sons, the J & C Fischer Piano Company, Hallet & Davis, F.C. 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. Serial Numbers on. Kimball piano factory was one of the largest manufacturing operations in the world, with rail lines running through the facility, dropping off raw materials and picking up finished pianos for shipment. Kimball was the world's largest piano manufacturer from the late 1800s until the Great Depression of the 1930s.
However, locating it can be tricky. We provide our customers with the following real-life diagrams to quickly help them find the serial number on their grand or upright piano.
Kimball Piano Serial Number Guide
Grand serial numbers like on the Steinway pictured above may be found in many different places. The various places on the diagram point to some possible locations.
Typically, a serial number has 5 to 7 digits, but in some cases, it may have fewer or more and may also include a letter. This is a view of the grand with the lid open and the music desk removed. It may be necessary to clean dust off the harp or soundboard before the serial number can be seen.
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).
By locating the serial number, you can begin your research to know the value of the piano. The first thing the serial number tells you is the age of the piano. Paired with the who made the piano, the age is a key piece of information, and many piano experts can begin to assign a value quickly after assessing the condition and a few other criteria.
Sometimes, however, a serial number can be nearly impossible to find, even to professionals who know where to look and have identified thousands of serial numbers in their years of expertise. If you are running into this problem, feel free to give us a call, and we’ll be happy to work with you to locate your serial number.
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Original image sources:
Grand piano: https://www.amromusic.com/
Kimball Whitney Piano Serial Number
Upright piano: http://www.steinhovenpianos.com/
Kimball Piano Serial Number Lookup
