Chickering pianos are a popular choice for students, home enthusiasts and professional musicians alike. Our available Chickering pianos include a range of types, costs and conditions. Browse our available selection, or use our filters to refine your search by size, price, location, distance from you, or color. Good question! And a simple one to answer. First, a how-to on where to find the serial number of your piano. Upright pianos will have their serial numbers either painted onto the cast iron backplate, or stamped into the pinblock underneath. Serial numbers may also be found on the edges of the kickboard down below.
Even without a serial number, it is generally possible for us to date your early Chickering to within a decade. For all the difficulties that they create otherwise, Chickering’s prolificness and practice of rapid design changes usually mean that any early Chickering piano can be fairly narrowly dated. We are happy to assist in dating your pre-1890 Chickering. Just send an email with photos to More broadly speaking, however, and in helping to determine whether you are looking at a case number or true serial number, the following design features tell you for certain that your piano is from after 1850 (i.e. that your 4-digit number is not a serial number):
Grand Pianos
![Numbers Numbers](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125878652/296013184.jpg)
Fully-rounded tail as on a modern baby grand
3 Pedals
Overstrung scale (i.e. bass strings cross over the tenor strings)
Agraffes (whether cast or screwed into frame/case)
Any 2- or 3-digit number (with or without a trailing letter) prominently cast anywhere in the iron frame (harp)
“Chickering & Sons” cast or stenciled anywhere on the iron frame
“Tune at French Pitch” or “Tune at International Pitch” stenciled onto the frame
Square Pianos
88 key compass
Overstrung scale (i.e. bass strings cross over the tenor strings)
Agraffes (whether cast or screwed into frame/case)