Piano dating guide
Kawai piano serial numbers
Koichi Kawai established the Kawai Musical Instruments Research Laboratory in Hamamatsu in 1927. Kawai serial sequences differ by manufacturing location, so first identify any prefix and the piano’s country of manufacture.
Where to look
On a grand piano, inspect the cast-iron frame near the tuning pins. On an upright, open the top lid and inspect the frame or soundboard area. Record any letter prefix exactly.
Choose the correct sequence
Japan-made, USA-made, Indonesia-made and Shigeru Kawai instruments use separate sequences. These archive values are approximate and should be checked against the model and construction details.
Serial-number references
Find the nearest serial number in the relevant table. If the number falls between two entries, the likely production date falls between those years. Values below preserve the historical Roberts Pianos archive.
Japan-made Kawai sequence
| Year | Serial no. | Year | Serial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | 4200 | 1978 | 973490 |
| 1930 | 6000 | 1979 | 1067130 |
| 1935 | 8350 | 1980 | 1126366 |
| 1940 | 9600 | 1981 | 1219355 |
| 1945 | 12000 | 1982 | 1300000 |
| 1950 | 14200 | 1983 | 1380000 |
| 1952 | 15000 | 1984 | 1475000 |
| 1953 | 16200 | 1985 | 1550000 |
| 1954 | 18600 | 1986 | 1630500 |
| 1955 | 20590 | 1987 | 1706250 |
| 1956 | 21300 | 1988 | 1781250 |
| 1957 | 22500 | 1989 | 1856250 |
| 1958 | 23200 | 1990 | 1950000 |
| 1959 | 24900 | 1991 | 2000000 |
| 1960 | 26000 | 1992 | 2050000 |
| 1961 | 54500 | 1993 | 2100000 |
| 1962 | 75760 | 1994 | 2160743 |
| 1963 | 85622 | 1995 | 2197503 |
| 1964 | 132307 | 1996 | 2244232 |
| 1965 | 165178 | 1997 | 2279943 |
| 1966 | 203433 | 1998 | 2314043 |
| 1967 | 251660 | 1999 | 2350000 |
| 1968 | 303686 | 2000 | 2380000 |
| 1969 | 369088 | 2001 | 2410000 |
| 1970 | 425121 | 2002 | 2430000 |
| 1971 | 488834 | 2003 | 2466000 |
| 1972 | 558216 | 2004 | 2495000 |
| 1973 | 633601 | 2005 | 2518000 |
| 1974 | 718768 | 2006 | 2543000 |
| 1975 | 785568 | 2007 | 2566000 |
| 1976 | 844362 | 2008 | 2584000 |
| 1977 | 904384 |
USA-made instruments: these entries use an A prefix.
USA sequence
| Year | ASerial no. | Year | ASerial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 6904 | 1997 | 74000 |
| 1989 | 7500 | 1997 | 74000 |
| 1990 | 10200 | 1998 | 81000 |
| 1991 | 21300 | 1999 | 90000 |
| 1992 | 30515 | 2000 | 96000 |
| 1993 | 39267 | 2001 | 100000 |
| 1994 | 49071 | 2002 | 104000 |
| 1995 | 56689 | 2003 | 111000 |
| 1996 | 64000 | 2004 | 115300 |
Indonesia-made instruments: these entries use an F prefix.
Indonesia sequence
| Year | FSerial no. | Year | FSerial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 000200 | 2006 | 010600 |
| 2004 | 002200 | 2007 | 018700 |
| 2005 | 004700 | 2008 | 030200 |
Shigeru Kawai sequence
| Year | Serial no. | Year | Serial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2370300 | 2005 | 2516300 |
| 2001 | 240800 | 2006 | 2543100 |
| 2002 | 2433300 | 2007 | 2563000 |
| 2003 | 2463800 | 2008 | 2582000 |
| 2004 | 2492400 |
Need help identifying the piano?
Send clear photographs of the maker name, model marking, serial number and the full instrument. We can help identify the relevant sequence before you rely on a date.