HOW OLD IS MY PIANO?
FREE PIANO IDENTIFICATION & SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL
What Year Was My Petrof Piano Made?
(Serial Number Lookup & Guide)
DIRECT ANSWER
Most Petrof upright and grand pianos can be dated from the manufacturing serial number. Look for it inside the piano, usually on the cast-iron plate near the tuning pins or on an adjacent interior structural area, then enter the full number in the lookup tool.
Do not use the model designation as the serial number. Names such as P 118, P 125, P 131, and P 194 identify Petrof models or approximate sizes, not the piano’s production sequence. Petrof and Weinbach are related Czech piano names, but use the brand printed on the instrument when selecting the manufacturer.
PETROF PIANO SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL
WHERE IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON A PETROF?
Petrof serial numbers are usually located inside the instrument on the cast-iron plate, near the tuning pins, or on an interior structural component.
PETROF UPRIGHT PIANOS
- Lift the top lid of the piano.
- Look down inside at the cast-iron plate and tuning-pin area.
- Check the upper portions of the plate, particularly near the center or either upper corner.
- Inspect the wooden structural areas immediately adjacent to the plate if the number is not obvious.
- On some instruments, additional identification markings may appear behind the upper front panel.
Avoid removing panels or internal components unless you can do so safely. If the number is difficult to locate, a piano technician can identify it during a service appointment.
PETROF GRAND PIANOS
- Open the main lid and secure it with the prop stick.
- Look down at the cast-iron plate inside the piano.
- Check near the tuning pins, especially in the area behind the music desk.
- If necessary, carefully slide the music desk forward to reveal portions of the plate hidden beneath it.
- Also inspect the plate near the manufacturer’s name and along the inner rim of the instrument.
The serial number is generally a longer numeric marking than the model designation.
DO NOT USE THESE NUMBERS
Model designations such as P 118, P 125, P 131, or P 173
Casting numbers
Action or component numbers
Incomplete serial numbers with missing digits
A Weinbach number entered under Petrof, or vice versa
WHAT A PETROF SERIAL NUMBER CAN TELL YOU
A Petrof serial-number lookup can usually identify the approximate manufacturing year, place the piano within an earlier or more recent production era, and establish its approximate age.
It cannot establish the original dealer, purchaser, ownership history, original retail price, current value, exact model when the model marking is absent, or whether the piano has been rebuilt, restored, or modified. Depending on the available historical records, the result may be an exact year or an estimated production range.
PETROF PIANO HISTORY
Petrof was founded in 1864 by Antonín Petrof in Hradec Králové, in what is now the Czech Republic. The company has produced both upright and grand pianos through several distinct political and production eras.
Antonín Petrof established the company after training in piano making in Vienna.
Petrof expanded its production of upright and grand pianos during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Manufacturing continued through the creation of Czechoslovakia, the world wars, and the later state-controlled period.
After 1989, the Petrof family gradually regained a role in the company’s ownership and management.
Petrof continues to produce upright and grand pianos in Hradec Králové.
Reviewed by Joe Kemple, Master Piano Technician, Burd and Sons Piano Service · Updated September 2026
Our database includes Petrof piano serial numbers across documented production eras and instrument types.
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