Wurlitzer Upright Piano Serial Numbers
The Wurlitzer 105,000 series of pages consist of a total of three discontinuous but distinct groups of serial numbers, with each group separated here for descriptive purposes. Beginning with serial number 105,000, the overall series ends with serial number 141,013. The value of a used Wurlitzer piano varies greatly depending on its condition. There's no list of used Wurlitzer values to refer to; each piano has a unique value determined by its age, whether it still plays properly and whether there is any cosmetic damage to the piano. For help in locating the serial number of your piano check here: Finding Vertical Piano Serials Includes Spinets, Consoles, Studios, Uprights. Finding Grand Serials. All sizes of grand pianos.
All pianos are made with serial numbers. These numbers act as a way to identify the origins, methods of production and year of creation of any given piano. The model number will be associated with it and should be printed in the same locations.The trick is knowing where to look on the instrument. Massive databases exist online with nearly all serial numbers used from nearly every piano manufacturer. If you are looking for these numbers on your Wurlitzer upright piano, take a look inside.
Open the lid and look down from the top. The numbers may be printed or placed on a sticker on the top right or left of the harp.
Remove the upper facing cover from the piano and sit on the bench. Directly at eye level should either be the printed number, or a hole through the harp that may have the printing on the wood behind it.
Look at the inner sides of the piano near where the upper-facing cover was mounted. A printed sticker may be on the interior of either the left or right side.
Turn the piano around and look at the rear of the soundboard. If the serial and model numbers are printed nowhere else, they must be printed on the rear.
Tip
Be careful when removing piano parts as they may scratch or dent either themselves or other furniture.
Warning
Be careful spinning the piano. If on carpet, it may not move and, if on hardwood, it may scratch the floor.
Of the pianos made these days, which is the best?
Over-all, the answer is 'Yamaha' (Yamaha Website). Quality for the price, it can't be beat. I have tuned hundreds of pianos and the tone quality of a Yamaha grand is unsurpassed. Next is Kawai, Young Chang, maybe Samick (because of warranty), and then Baldwin (top of the line only). Petrof is a very good piano, but prices have gone very high in recent years. They are not cheap. Then of course Steinway. The legend of pianos is the Bösendorfer. If you can afford one.
Now, before you through away your old Winter, or some other generic piano, cheer up-- if you've been tuning the piano faithfully, and if it hasn't been stored in the barn, you probably have a pretty acceptable instrument anyway.
So go on home, call a tuner who has a positive attitude, and ask him to bring your old relic back as best he can. You will be surprised what can be done. If the tuner tells you to haul it to the dump, call or email me. I will try to help you find a fellow with a better attitude.
HERE IS A LIST OF PIANOS ACCORDING TO QUALITY
You need to understand that this list does not take into account the condition or care the piano has had over the years.
Exceptional quality
Christifori
Steinway & Sons
Boston
Grotrian-Steinweg
Bosendorfer
Bluthner
Bechstein
Yamaha
Erard
Falcone
Mason & Hamlin
Baldwin
Knabe
Gaveau
Chickering
Kurtzmann
Sohmer
Schimmel
Petrof
Better than average
Kawai
Samick
Feurich
Bauer
Acrosonic by Baldwin
Pearl River
Knight of the UK
Story & Clark
Broadwood
Krakauer
Behr
Brinkerhoff
Ibach
Labrousse
Broadman
George Steck
Sohmer
Schiller
Hardman
Hamilton
Haddorff
Mehler
Ivers and Pond
Henry Miller
Janssen
Weber
Playel
Brambach
Everett
Jesse French
Wegman
J & C Fischer
Useful though not exceptional
Weaver
Winter Musett
Wurlitzer
Hobart M. Cable
Lester
Gulbransen
Samick
Cornish
Wissner
Mehlin & Son
Kranich & Bach
Hackley
Laughead
Ackerman
Collard
Price and Teeple
Poole
Kimball
Hinze
Hall
Stetson
Stieff
Cable-Nelson
Kohler & Campbell
Huntington
Cable
Cable Nelson
Conover
Betsy Ross
Low Quality
Wurlitzer Upright Piano Prices
Aeolian-
This company bought defunct piano companies, some in the above lists, and used the names on their pianos to hide their low quality pianos. Beware-- Check a piano atlas to see if Aeolian bought the piano name of something you are considering buying.
Winter- Not Musette
Grinnell
Conn
Lowrey
'Grand' ( Brand name on cheap upright company )
Any piano made in Utah
Any Bird Cage Action piano ( Exception- German )
Any piano with an aluminum harp (plate)
Shannon
Chancellor-- From Ireland-- Operated by hot air-- True!