Kemble Serial Numbers: How Old Is My Kemble?
If you own a Kemble and want to know its age, the serial number is the place to start. Here is how to find it and what it tells you.
Where to find the number
Open the top lid of the upright and look on the metal frame, usually towards the top, or on the wooden back. It is normally a number of several digits, separate from the model name.
Dating your Kemble
The serial number, together with the model, dates the piano. The single most useful thing to know is the 1988 watershed: from then on Kemble was owned by Yamaha and the pianos were built with Yamaha soundboards and action parts. A piano from the 1990s or 2000s is a Yamaha-era Kemble; an older one is a British-only Kemble. See are Kemble pianos made by Yamaha.
What the number tells you, and what it does not
It tells you roughly when the piano was made, and therefore which era it belongs to. It does not tell you the condition, which matters more than anything on a used piano. Our buying guide explains what to check.