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FREE PIANO IDENTIFICATION & SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL
What Year Was My Cable-Nelson Piano Made?
(Serial Number Lookup + Guide)
DIRECT ANSWER
Most Cable-Nelson pianos can be dated from the serial number stamped inside the instrument. On uprights and spinets, check the cast-iron plate near the tuning pins and the upper wooden structure inside the cabinet. On grands, look on the plate near the tuning pins after opening the main lid.
Use the Cable-Nelson serial-number sequence only. Cable-Nelson is distinct from Cable, Conover Cable, and Hobart M. Cable, and those brands should not be run through this lookup. Production passed through several ownership and factory eras, so identifying the correct brand is essential.
CABLE-NELSON PIANO SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL
WHERE IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON A CABLE-NESLON?
Cable-Nelson serial numbers are stamped directly onto the cast iron plate or onto a dedicated area of the wooden back structure inside the instrument.
CABLE-NELSON GRAND PIANOS
Lift the main top lid and secure it safely with the prop stick.
Look past the music desk down at the cast iron frame near the tuning pins.
The serial number is stamped cleanly onto the gold metal plate surface.
You may need to slide the wooden music desk toward you and temporarily remove it to get a clear view of the frame area right behind the keys.
CABLE-NELSON UPRIGHT PIANOS
Open the top lid of the piano cabinet.
Look straight down into the interior at the gold or bronze-painted cast iron plate.
The serial number is typically ink-stamped directly into the metal frame, often located near the tuning pins on the right-hand side or stamped in the center area near the upper treble strings.
On some older models like our example below, you may also find the number stamped into the wood of the top spine or the back rim.
Do Not Use These Numbers
Three- or four-digit casting numbers on the wood or iron parts.
Case or part numbers that are not stamped on the plate or interior structural wood.
Numbers from Cable, Conover Cable, Hobart M. Cable, or another brand containing “Cable.”
Faded or dusty markings that have not been checked closely against the plate stamp.
What a Cable-Nelson Serial Number Can Tell You
A Cable-Nelson serial number can usually identify the piano’s manufacturing year and place it within one of the brand’s major American production eras.
It cannot identify the exact day or month of assembly, the original selling dealer, specific cabinet materials, or later rebuilding and restoration work. The serial number also reflects production sequencing, not a particular model line or cabinet style.
Cable-Nelson Piano History
Cable-Nelson began in Chicago in 1903 and took the Cable-Nelson name after a 1905 partnership change involving the Nelson interest. The brand became known for affordable, well-constructed home pianos.
1903–1928: Independent Chicago production.
1928–1954: Everett Piano Company ownership, with production moved to South Haven, Michigan.
1954–1981: Later ownership transitions included Meridian Corporation, Hammond Organ Company, and Yamaha oversight.
American production under the historic Cable-Nelson registry ended in 1981.
Reviewed by Joe Kemple, Master Piano Technician, Burd and Sons Piano Service · Updated September 2026
Our database includes Cable-Nelson piano serial numbers across all major production eras and instrument types.
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