How Old Is My Piano

Wurlitzer

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HOW OLD IS MY PIANO?

FREE PIANO IDENTIFICATION & SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL

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

DIRECT ANSWER

Wurlitzer pianos can often be dated from their serial number, but the result is not equally precise for every instrument. The serial number is usually found on the cast-iron plate near the tuning pins; on certain studio uprights and later grands, it may instead appear on a badge or underneath the piano.

Wurlitzer did not use one fully centralized, continuous numbering system across all production eras. Earlier factory-built pianos are generally easier to place, while later outsourced or stencil-built instruments may produce a reasonable year range rather than one exact year.

WURLITZER SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP TOOL

Wurlitzer

WHERE IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON A WURLITZER?

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
Close up of the serial number on a Wurlitzer studio piano.
Close up of the serial number badge on the inside of a Wurlitzer studio piano.
A Wurlitzer studio piano with the lid open, revealing the serial number location.
A Wurlitzer studio piano with the lid open, showing where the serial number badge is located (left side).
EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER WURLITZER STUDIO
Close-up of the serial number on the back of a Wurlitzer studio piano.
This is a close-up of the serial number badge on the backside of the same piano.
A Wurlitzer studio piano shown from the front.
On this type of Wurlitzer studio piano, which has the lid hinge on the side, you will find the serial number on the back of the piano, on the left (bass) end.
EXAMPLE OF A WURLITZER SPINET
Close up of the serial number on a Wurlitzer spinet piano.
Close up of the serial number on a Wurlitzer spinet piano, stamped into the wood behind a hole in the cast-iron plate.
A Wurlitzer spinet piano with the lid open, revealing the serial number location.
A Wurlitzer spinet piano with the lid open, showing the location of the serial number.
EXAMPLE OF A WURLITZER CONSOLE
On this Wurlitzer console piano, the serial number is burned into the wood.
On this Wurlitzer console piano, the serial number is burned into the wood.
A Wurlitzer console piano with the lid open.
A Wurlitzer console piano with the lid open.

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 grand serial number badge close-up.
In this close-up of the same piano's badge, you can see that the model number appears first, then the serial number.
Serial number badge on a Wurlitzer grand piano.
On this Wurlitzer grand, the serial number is printed on a badge, under the piano, on the treble side.

DO NOT USE THESE NUMBERS

  • Patent, decal, cabinet, or component numbers.

  • A model name or model number in place of the serial number.

  • The first number on a grand-piano badge without checking whether it is the model number.

  • The assumption that every Wurlitzer serial number follows one chronological system.

WHAT A WURLITZER SERIAL NUMBER CAN TELL YOU

A Wurlitzer serial-number lookup can usually place the piano in an approximate manufacturing year or range and identify its general production era.

It may not provide an exact year for every later instrument, a consistent factory attribution, or model-specific specifications. Production and numbering practices changed substantially over time.

WURLITZER PIANO HISTORY

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company was founded in 1853 and became a major American musical-instrument name, producing pianos, organs, jukeboxes, and electronic keyboards.

Wurlitzer piano production passed through several distinct periods:

  • Early American factory production.

  • Large-scale mid-century production of affordable spinets and consoles.

  • Later outsourced and stencil-built production.

The shift away from company-owned manufacturing contributed to less consistent serial-number practices. That is why Wurlitzer dating often requires more interpretation than brands with one continuous numbering sequence.

Reviewed by Joe Kemple, Master Piano Technician, Burd and Sons Piano Service · Updated September 2026

HOW WE DATE AND VALUATE PIANOS

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