Observed arrival · 2026-10-13
Brass Lookup: a serial number’s backstory
A free lookup tool for estimating when a brass instrument was made, by maker and serial number.
○Open
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$Paid
†Ads
✦Pretty
●Pro
◎Niche
◉Human
⚑Risk
ƒJS
- For
- Brass players identifying an instrument’s age
- Worth noticing
- The homepage lists 27 makers, 1,196 dating ranges, and 40 published sources; a featured article explains why Yamaha serials cannot be looked up.
Field notes
The displayed instructions ask users to enter the complete stamped serial number, preserving letters and leading zeros. A sample Bach record gives an estimated 1999–2002 range, identifies the Elkhart era and Stradivarius series, and points to the kind of result the lookup presents. The homepage also links to a Yamaha explainer, noting that the brand has no published wind-instrument serial chart and outlining other ways to investigate.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
○OpenPublic substance visible
✦PrettyNotable craft visible
●ProPolished or operationally mature
◎NicheUnusually specific use
One card from the complete issue