Wurlitzer Piano Serial Number

**Do to an overwhelming amount of customers needing date of manufacturer information for their pianos, we are no longer able to give this service for free. If you still would like for us to look it up we would ask a nominal fee to be paid through PayPal.**

Pianos also have other numbers printed on them such as part numbers and many other pianos do not have a serial number at all. Many pianos will have a 4, 5 or 6 digit serial number to identify the age of the piano. Using this number, along with the manufacturer, the age of the piano can sometimes be determined. The areas to look for these numbers vary from each company but here are some common places to look along with some photos.

1. Piano serial number of uprights are many times located on the inside of the piano stamped onto the plate between the bass string section and the treble string section.

Wurlitzer Spinet. Fruitwood finish (red/brown). Serial Number 1048536. Time to Tune Your Piano! As we welcome the change in seasons, your piano should be tuned in order to maintain proper pitch. Call (610) 965-3745 today to schedule an appointment!
Wurlitzer moved to Cincinnati in 1856 and became a successful retailer of pianos, organs and general musical merchandise. Wurlitzer’s firm was so successful that he built “The House Of Wurlitzer”, a large factory with splendid warerooms, in 1861.

2. Other upright serial numbers are located on the cast iron plate but placed above the treble string section.

Piano serial numbers identify the (1) age of your piano, the (2) piano's year of manufacture, as well as (3) the circumstances surrounding the production of your piano, including factory history, manufacturing processes, and company ownership and oversight.

3. Grand piano serial numbers are placed in many areas as the photos show. There are seven examples but your serial number placement could be in yet a different location and may require some searching.

Be sure to find the manufacturer’s name stamped on the cast iron plate or in the wood. Do not rely on the name that is printed on the fall board as this does not guarantee the name of the manufacturer. Some serial numbers are printed on the back board of vertical pianos and require you to move the piano out from the wall. We have also seen serial numbers of grand pianos stamped into the lyre assembly and nowhere else. A thorough examination is required to locate each pianos individual serial number.

Wurlitzer Pianos is one of the oldest names in the piano manufacturing industry in the United States. The quality of their pianos can be lined up with the best names in the realm of piano manufacturing and design.

Company History

Wurlitzer was established in 1853 by Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer. He built a piano manufacturing plant in Ohio in 1861, and four years later, he opened a retail shop, expanding his distribution across the Unites States. In 1880 Wurlitzer began to make pianos, and the company grew and became particularly well known for military and mechanical instruments.

Despite Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer’s death in 1914, the company carried on and survived the age of the gramophone by introducing the first automatic jukebox, the Wurlitzer Simplex.

During the 1920’s Wurlitzer acquired the Melville Clark line of pianos and continued to manufacture the same name of instruments.

In 1935, Wurlitzer introduced the tradition-breaking spinet piano, proving that a piano only thirty-nine inches high could replace the bulky instruments traditionally produced.

Wurlitzer Piano
Developments and Innovations

Through science, research, and ingenuity, Wurlitzer has created exclusive features such as Tonecrafted Hammers, the Pentagonal Sound Board, the Augmented Sound Board, and many others to provide a greater volume of rich, resonant tones for their instrument. Another unique achievement of Wurlitzer is their 'Wurl-on' finish which is highly resistant to heat, cold, dryness, and moisture... as well as smears, scratches, and abrasions - an attractive as well as a durable and long-lasting finish.

In 1955, Wurlitzer introduced their sensational new electronic piano that had no strings or sound board, yet provided a natural piano tone through the means of an entirely electronic mechanism. Another unique feature is that it weighed only sixty-eight pounds and could be carried like a suitcase by means of its handy porta-cover.

Since these electronic models do not have any strings, hammers or soundboard, the instrument is unaffected by changes in temperature or climatic conditions. Additional features of this piano resembles that of the modern electronic instruments of today. A console model of the electronic piano was introduced in 1957 which met with immediate popularity.

Wurlitzer piano lines are manufactured under the names Apollo, De Kalb, Julius Bauer, Melville Clark, Student Butterfly Clavichord, Farney, Kingston, Kurtzmann, Merriam, Schaff Bros. and Underwood.

In 1995 Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. purchased the Wurlitzer name. Baldwin appointed Young Chang to build Wurlitzer grands, until about 1996, when production was moved to Samick. Gibson Guitars acquired the Baldwin Piano Co. in 2001, along with the Wurlitzer name.