How to Find the Month and Year a Kimball Piano Was Made

If you have ever wondered about the date that your Kimball piano, or any other piano for that matter, was made, you can easily find out by locating the instrument's serial number and searching out the year of correspondence. Unfortunately, a serial number will not pinpoint the month of a Kimball piano's construction, the year is the closest reference point available.

Search for the serial number on the front of the piano. A Kimball serial number will most likely be a six-digit number, with the exception of models produced in 1900, which feature the five-digit number 71000. Open the lid of the piano and look toward the left of center of the tuning pins. There is a rectangular or oval plate that commonly features a serial number. Use a flashlight if you are having trouble making out the numbers.

Look at the back of the piano. Commonly, Kimball pianos feature serial numbers on the upper left or right corner of the backside of a piano. Again, look for a six- or five-digit number embossed or inked into the wood.

Consult a piano "blue book" from a library or the Internet that lists the serial numbers and the corresponding dates in which the model was manufactured (See Resources). Match the serial number on your piano with a number in the book. These "blue books" will also usually list pricing, rarity and other information on each make and year of a piano.