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What Year Was My Wurlitzer Piano Made? (Serial Number Lookup + Guide)

DIRECT ANSWER

To determine the age of a Wurlitzer piano, you must use the Wurlitzer serial number system—but unlike Steinway or Baldwin, this system is not fully centralized or consistently sequential across all production periods.

Many Wurlitzer pianos can be dated to a reasonable year range, but exact-year accuracy varies depending on:

production era (pre-war, post-war, late production)
manufacturing source (Wurlitzer-owned factories vs outsourced production)
instrument type (uprights, spinets, consoles, and later stencil-built instruments)

As a result, Wurlitzer serial numbers often require interpretation rather than direct year lookup.

HOW WURLITZER SERIAL NUMBERS WORK

Wurlitzer did not maintain a single, continuous serial number sequence across all pianos.

Instead, the system evolved over time and includes:

multiple numbering ranges tied to different production periods
inconsistencies between upright and grand production
later outsourcing to other manufacturers using separate numbering systems

In practical terms:

earlier Wurlitzer pianos (especially pre-1960) are generally easier to date
mid-century instruments often map to identifiable year ranges
later instruments may be significantly harder to date due to outsourced production

This makes Wurlitzer less predictable than brands with unified serial systems.

PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING COMPLEXITY

Rudolph Wurlitzer Company produced pianos across multiple facilities and later transitioned much of its production to external manufacturers.

Key implications:

early instruments were built in Wurlitzer-controlled factories (primarily in the United States)
mid-century production included large-scale spinet and console output
later pianos were often built by third-party manufacturers under the Wurlitzer name

Because of this:

serial numbers may reflect different underlying systems depending on who built the piano
some late Wurlitzer-branded pianos may not align with traditional Wurlitzer serial charts at all

SERIAL NUMBER FORMAT

Wurlitzer serial numbers vary widely depending on era.

They may appear as:

numeric-only sequences (most common in earlier instruments)
shorter or irregular sequences in certain production periods
occasionally stamped in different formats depending on factory or subcontractor

Important distinctions:

serial numbers do NOT encode model information
identical-looking numbers may belong to different eras without proper context
later stencil-built instruments may follow entirely different numbering systems

Correct interpretation depends heavily on identifying the piano’s approximate age and construction style.

HOW TO FIND YOUR WURLITZER PIANO’S SERIAL NUMBER

Wurlitzer serial numbers are stamped into the cast iron plate inside the piano.

WURLITZER UPRIGHT PIANOS

open the top lid or front panel
locate the cast iron plate inside the cabinet
the serial number is typically near the tuning pins
in some cases, it may also appear on an interior badge

EXAMPLE OF A WURLITZER STUDIO PIANO

EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER WURLITZER STUDIO

EXAMPLE OF A WURLITZER SPINET

WURLITZER GRAND PIANOS

open the lid and inspect the cast iron plate
look near the tuning pins or bass string area
the serial number is stamped onto the metal frame
on later Wurlitzer grands, the serial number is located on the underside of the piano

WURLITZER SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL

Use the tool below to estimate your Wurlitzer piano’s manufacturing year.

STEP 1: SELECT THE MANUFACTURER

Important note for Wurlitzer pianos:

choose “Wurlitzer” for standard Wurlitzer-branded instruments
if your piano appears to be a later production model, results may reflect a range rather than an exact year

Manufacturer

STEP 2: ENTER YOUR SERIAL NUMBER

Serial Number

STEP 3: THE RESULT

WHAT THE SERIAL NUMBER CAN (AND CANNOT) TELL YOU

A Wurlitzer serial number can typically provide:

approximate manufacturing year or range (especially for earlier instruments)
production era classification (pre-war, mid-century, late production)
general placement within Wurlitzer’s production timeline

However, it may NOT reliably provide:

exact year for all instruments (especially later production)
consistent factory attribution
model-specific details or specifications

This limitation exists because Wurlitzer’s production and numbering systems changed significantly over time.

COMMON SERIAL NUMBER MISTAKES

Common issues when checking Wurlitzer piano age include:

using numbers from decals, patents, or cabinet stamps instead of the true serial
confusing model names with serial numbers
assuming all Wurlitzer pianos follow a single chronological numbering system

If your result seems inconsistent, confirm the number directly on the cast iron plate and consider the piano’s physical characteristics.

WURLITZER PIANO HISTORY

Rudolph Wurlitzer Company was founded in 1853 and became one of the most recognizable names in American musical instruments, producing pianos, organs, jukeboxes, and electronic keyboards.

Wurlitzer piano production includes several distinct phases:

early American manufacturing expansion (late 19th–early 20th century)
large-scale mid-century production of spinets and consoles
gradual transition to outsourced and stencil production in later years

Wurlitzer spinets became especially widespread in the mid-20th century due to their affordability and compact size.

However, as production shifted away from company-owned factories, consistency in serial numbering declined. This is why earlier Wurlitzer pianos are generally easier to date than later ones.

Because of these structural changes in manufacturing, Wurlitzer serial number interpretation requires more contextual analysis than brands with unified, continuous numbering systems.

Our database includes Wurlitzer serial ranges across all major production eras, with best-available mappings for both early factory-built and later outsourced instruments.