Serial number lookup
How old is your piano
Yamaha and Kawai both began in Hamamatsu, Japan, and both number every piano they build. Type in yours to see the year it was made, from the makers’ own charts.
Your piano
0000
Choose the maker, type the serial number and the year it was made appears here.
Finding the number
Both makers stamp the serial number into the gold-coloured iron frame inside the piano, usually beside the model name. If a tuner has left a tuning card inside, it may be written there too.
Upright piano
- Clear the top of the piano and lift the lid.
- Look down at the gold-coloured frame. The number is usually at the top right, near the tuning pins. On some pianos it’s in the middle.
- Copy every digit, and any letter in front. If there’s a gap between the letter and the number, type the gap too.
Grand piano
- Open the lid, or just its front section on the keyboard side.
- Look at the right-hand end of the frame, near the tuning pins under the music desk (the stand that holds the sheet music).
- On some Kawai grands you need to slide the music desk out to see it. A torch helps.
The makers’ own charts
Every answer above comes from these tables, published by Yamaha and Kawai. Each row is the first serial number of that year, so a piano made that year has a number between its row and the next.
Yamaha
Made in JapanNo letter before the number · 1926 to 2025ShowHide
The first serial number of each year, for uprights and grands built in Japan. Early on the chart only gains a row every 10,000 pianos, so some rows cover several years.
- 1926–33
- 10,000
- 1934–37
- 20,000
- 1938–46
- 30,000
- 1947–51
- 40,000
- 1952–53
- 50,000
- 1954–55
- 60,000
- 1956
- 70,000
- 1957
- 80,000
- 1958
- 90,000
- 1959
- 100,000
- 1960
- 120,000
- 1961
- 150,000
- 1962
- 180,000
- 1963
- 230,000
- 1964
- 300,000
- 1965
- 370,000
- 1966
- 460,000
- 1967
- 570,000
- 1968
- 700,000
- 1969
- 820,000
- 1970
- 980,000
- 1971
- 1,150,000
- 1972
- 1,340,000
- 1973
- 1,540,000
- 1974
- 1,740,000
- 1975
- 1,950,000
- 1976
- 2,150,000
- 1977
- 2,360,000
- 1978
- 2,570,000
- 1979
- 2,800,000
- 1980
- 3,030,000
- 1981
- 3,260,000
- 1982
- 3,480,000
- 1983
- 3,680,000
- 1984
- 3,890,000
- 1985
- 4,040,000
- 1986
- 4,210,000
- 1987
- 4,360,000
- 1988
- 4,560,000
- 1989
- 4,680,000
- 1990
- 4,820,000
- 1991
- 4,960,000
- 1992
- 5,080,000
- 1993
- 5,190,000
- 1994
- 5,300,000
- 1995
- 5,390,000
- 1996
- 5,460,000
- 1997
- 5,520,000
- 1998
- 5,590,000
- 1999
- 5,810,000
- 2000
- 5,860,000
- 2001
- 5,920,000
- 2002
- 5,970,000
- 2003
- 6,020,000
- 2004
- 6,060,000
- 2005
- 6,100,000
- 2006
- 6,150,000
- 2007
- 6,180,000
- 2008
- 6,220,000
- 2009
- 6,250,000
- 2010
- 6,280,000
- 2011
- 6,310,000
- 2012
- 6,340,000
- 2013
- 6,360,000
- 2014
- 6,380,000
- 2015
- 6,400,000
- 2016
- 6,420,000
- 2017
- 6,440,000
- 2018
- 6,460,000
- 2019
- 6,480,000
- 2020
- 6,500,000
- 2021
- 6,520,000
- 2022
- 6,540,000
- 2023
- 6,560,000
- 2024
- 6,580,000
- 2025
- 6,600,000
Source: Yamaha Corporation, acoustic pianos by year and serial number (2025, in Japanese), also printed by Yamaha Piano Service. Yamaha notes the numbers may vary either side of each new year.
Made outside JapanA letter joined to the front of the numberShowHide
Yamaha has also built pianos in Indonesia, China, the United States and Taiwan. Those serials start with a letter, joined to the number.
J · Jakarta, Indonesia
- 1998
- J1500000
- 1999
- J1600001
- 2000
- J1700559
- 2001
- J1802250
- 2002
- J1904634
- 2003
- J2008354
- 2004
- J2109546
- 2005
- J2212096
- 2006
- J2317402
- 2007
- J2422310
- 2008
- J2526623
- 2009
- J2631503
- 2010
- J2733874
- 2011
- J2837851
- 2012
- J2942840
- 2013
- J3000000
- 2014
- J3100000
- 2015
- J3200000
- 2016
- J3300000
- 2017
- J3400000
- 2018
- J3500000
- 2019
- J3600000
- 2020
- J3700000
- 2021
- J3800000
- 2022
- J3900000
H · Hangzhou, China
- 2004
- H0004000
- 2005
- H0004900
- 2006
- H0010900
- 2007
- H0020700
- 2008
- H0039900
- 2009
- H0071498
- 2010
- H0105429
- 2011
- H0150753
- 2012
- H0201988
- 2013
- H0257154
- 2014
- H0306726
- 2015
- H0359873
- 2016
- H0414970
- 2017
- H0471933
- 2018
- H0535799
- 2019
- H0604133
- 2020
- H0673783
- 2021
- H0727175
T · Thomaston, Georgia, USA
- 1986
- T100001
- 1987
- T101856
- 1988
- T110501
- 1989
- T122421
- 1990
- T132706
- 1991
- T143101
- 1992
- T155131
- 1993
- T167386
- 1994
- T177711
- 1995
- T189741
- 1996
- T202945
- 1997
- T212917
- 1998
- T224053
- 1999
- T237164
- 2000
- T251146
- 2001
- T265755
- 2002
- T275258
- 2003
- T283503
- 2004
- T294877
Before June 1986 Thomaston used a T5 series:
- 1983
- T500101
- 1984
- T500422
- 1985
- T500998
- 1986
- T502874
U · South Haven, Michigan, USA
- 1974
- U101000
- 1975
- U102000
- 1976
- U107000
- 1977
- U110000
- 1978
- U117000
- 1979
- U124000
- 1980
- U132000
- 1981
- U141000
- 1982
- U150000
- 1983
- U160000
- 1984
- U167000
- 1985
- U174000
- 1986
- U186000
YT · Taoyuan, Taiwan
- 2004
- YT277800
- 2005
- YT281000
- 2006
- YT285000
Source: Yamaha Corporation of America, finding the age of your Yamaha piano, and Yamaha Canada for the Jakarta numbers from 1999 to 2012. Pianos built at Kemble in England (an E before the number) have no published chart.
Kawai
Made in JapanNo letter before the number · 1927 to 2026ShowHide
The first serial number of each year, for uprights and grands built in Japan. Some rows cover several years where Kawai gives no figure.
- 1927–29
- 4,200
- 1930–34
- 6,000
- 1935–39
- 8,350
- 1940–44
- 9,600
- 1945–49
- 12,000
- 1950–51
- 14,200
- 1952
- 15,000
- 1953
- 16,200
- 1954
- 18,600
- 1955
- 20,590
- 1956
- 21,300
- 1957
- 22,500
- 1958–59
- 23,200
- 1960
- 26,000
- 1961
- 34,500
- 1962
- 75,760
- 1963
- 85,622
- 1964
- 132,307
- 1965
- 163,178
- 1966
- 203,433
- 1967
- 251,660
- 1968
- 303,686
- 1969
- 369,088
- 1970
- 425,121
- 1971
- 488,834
- 1972
- 558,216
- 1973
- 633,601
- 1974
- 718,768
- 1975
- 785,568
- 1976
- 844,362
- 1977
- 904,384
- 1978
- 973,490
- 1979
- 1,067,130
- 1980
- 1,126,366
- 1981
- 1,219,355
- 1982
- 1,300,000
- 1983
- 1,380,000
- 1984
- 1,475,000
- 1985
- 1,550,000
- 1986
- 1,630,500
- 1987
- 1,706,250
- 1988
- 1,784,800
- 1989
- 1,857,681
- 1990
- 1,927,022
- 1991
- 1,994,844
- 1992
- 2,056,461
- 1993
- 2,112,730
- 1994
- 2,160,709
- 1995
- 2,200,992
- 1996
- 2,246,731
- 1997
- 2,282,625
- 1998
- 2,320,144
- 1999
- 2,353,463
- 2000
- 2,382,528
- 2001
- 2,412,288
- 2002
- 2,441,771
- 2003
- 2,468,404
- 2004
- 2,496,522
- 2005
- 2,520,139
- 2006
- 2,544,464
- 2007
- 2,565,955
- 2008
- 2,585,211
- 2009
- 2,602,991
- 2010
- 2,615,721
- 2011
- 2,628,810
- 2012
- 2,641,039
- 2013
- 2,653,199
- 2014
- 2,663,534
- 2015
- 2,676,423
- 2016
- 2,688,177
- 2017
- 2,700,611
- 2018
- 2,711,953
- 2019
- 2,723,556
- 2020
- 2,736,010
- 2021
- 2,746,844
- 2022
- 2,760,790
- 2023
- 2,774,896
- 2024
- 2,787,214
- 2025
- 2,796,467
- 2026
- 2,804,200
Source: Kawai America’s serial number lookup. To 1987 it matches the table on Kawai’s head-office site, which rounds its later figures. Kawai notes the numbers are approximate and that models weren’t always numbered in order.
Made outside JapanF or A joined to the front of the numberShowHide
Kawai also builds pianos in Indonesia (serials starting with F), and built them in North Carolina, USA, from 1988 to 2004 (serials starting with A).
F · Karawang, Indonesia
- 2002
- F000011
- 2003
- F000121
- 2004
- F002350
- 2005
- F004997
- 2006
- F010530
- 2007
- F018472
- 2008
- F030293
- 2009
- F040329
- 2010
- F048793
- 2011
- F059268
- 2012
- F069566
- 2013
- F080819
- 2014
- F091370
- 2015
- F101577
- 2016
- F112442
- 2017
- F122845
- 2018
- F133444
- 2019
- F144492
- 2020
- F155593
- 2021
- F165047
- 2022
- F177225
- 2023
- F190983
- 2024
- F201381
- 2025
- F208916
- 2026
- F217367
A · Lincolnton, North Carolina, USA
- 1988
- A6904
- 1989
- A7500
- 1990
- A10200
- 1991
- A21300
- 1992
- A30515
- 1993
- A39267
- 1994
- A49071
- 1995
- A56689
- 1996
- A64000
- 1997
- A74000
- 1998
- A81000
- 1999
- A90000
- 2000
- A96000
- 2001
- A100000
- 2002
- A104000
- 2003
- A111000
- 2004
- A115300
Sources: Kawai America’s serial number lookup (Indonesia) and Kawai’s head-office table (USA).
Smaller Japanese runsS, E or C before the number, and two plain-number seriesShowHide
Kawai America’s lookup also lists these shorter runs from Japan. Kawai doesn’t say which models used them. The plain-number runs overlap the main chart, so when a number fits both we show both readings.
S
- 1987
- S128917
- 1988
- S130034
- 1989
- S130368
- 1990
- S131758
- 1991
- S132359
- 1992
- S133215
- 1993
- S133302
- 1994
- S133447
- 1995
- S133502
- 1996
- S133529
- 1997
- S133552
E
- 1995
- E10001
- 1996
- E12764
- 1997
- E13955
- 1998
- E15241
- 1999
- E16781
- 2000
- E17023
- 2001
- E17163
- 2002
- E17313
C
- 1999
- C10001
- 2000
- C10071
- 2001
- C10511
- 2002
- C10793
- 2003
- C11127
Five-digit numbers, 1987 to 2008
- 1987
- 38,947
- 1988
- 39,977
- 1989
- 40,927
- 1990
- 41,997
- 1991
- 43,191
- 1992
- 44,161
- 1993
- 45,011
- 1994
- 45,751
- 1995
- 46,451
- 1996
- 47,092
- 1997
- 47,432
- 1998
- 47,875
- 1999
- 48,212
- 2000
- 48,497
- 2001
- 48,752
- 2002
- 48,992
- 2003
- 49,187
- 2004
- 49,228
- 2005
- 49,293
- 2006
- 49,303
- 2007
- 49,351
- 2008
- 49,377
Six-digit numbers, from 1987
- 1987
- 104,726
- 1988
- 106,344
- 1989
- 108,237
- 1990
- 110,060
- 1991
- 112,168
- 1992
- 113,639
- 1993
- 115,347
- 1994
- 116,875
- 1995
- 118,139
- 1996
- 119,199
- 1997
- 119,940
- 1998
- 120,859
- 1999
- 121,557
- 2000
- 122,150
- 2001
- 122,641
- 2002
- 123,167
- 2003
- 123,566
- 2004
- 123,783
- 2005
- 124,025
- 2006
- 124,209
- 2007
- 124,524
- 2008
- 124,865
- 2009
- 125,081
- 2010
- 125,304
- 2011
- 125,510
- 2012
- 125,649
- 2013
- 125,808
- 2014
- 125,945
- 2015
- 126,062
- 2016
- 126,128
- 2017
- 126,189
- 2018
- 126,240
- 2019
- 126,261
- 2020
- 126,318
- 2021
- 126,345
- 2022
- 126,365
- 2023
- 126,403
- 2024
- 126,435
- 2025
- 126,445
- 2026
- 126,462
Source: Kawai America’s serial number lookup.
Good questions
How exact is the year?
Close, but not to the month. The charts give the first serial number of each year, and both makers say the real dates can vary either side, partly because different models were numbered in batches. Treat the answer as the year your piano was made, give or take a few months.
A piano can also sit in a warehouse or showroom for a while, so the year it was first sold may be a year or two later.
My serial number has a letter in it
On a Yamaha, a letter joined to the front of the number names the factory: J for Jakarta in Indonesia, H for Hangzhou in China, T or U for the United States and YT for Taiwan. A letter stamped with a gap before the number is usually part of the model name, and the piano was made in Japan.
On a Kawai, F means Indonesia and A means the United States. Kawai says to ignore any other letter at the start.
Type the number as you see it, gap and all, and the lookup will read it the right way.
Can the number tell me the model?
Not on its own. The model name, such as U1 or C3 on a Yamaha or K-300 on a Kawai, is usually stamped or printed beside the serial number.
Does the age of a piano matter?
Less than you might think. How a piano was looked after matters more than when it was made: a well-kept Japanese piano from the 1980s can play better than a neglected one from 2010.
Age tells a technician where to look, because hammers, strings and tuning pins wear with playing and with the weather. That’s why every piano we sell is checked in our Melbourne workshop and comes with a 10-year warranty.
What if my piano isn’t a Yamaha or Kawai?
Most makers kept serial records. The Pierce Piano Atlas collects them for thousands of brands, and a piano technician can usually date a piano from its number and case.