For those living in far-flung areas of the U.S., however, help was coming, wearing a white hat.

1900), the explosion sparkled to a close, moving westward no farther because the population dropped off sharply beyond Chicago and transportation of materials further west would drive up the price beyond what the economies of the area could bear. Starting in the Northeast (Boston, upstate New York, and especially New York City), piano manufacturing moved westward through Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio toward Chicago.Ībout the time it reached the mid-West (ca. The economy of the North had been strong throughout the conflict and continued to grow after it. This manufacturing explosion was scarcely interrupted by the Civil War. I do not list American brands out of patriotic preference but because in the hundred-year period between 1820-1920, there was an explosion of piano building in America, so many of those 12,500 brands were American. The tuning pitch is often one-half or whole−tone too low.My technician (make sure you deal with a Registered Piano Technician, not a 'tuner') told me that in the last 200 or so years, there have been about 12,500 different brands of pianos made (not model names - brands)!Īs you read my comments on piano brands, below, you will note that many are American. Tonal as well as in terms of technical requirements (repetition, precision of the regulation) these instruments do not meet present standards. In this cases, the focus does not lie on the current value but on a sentimental value. Exceptions are a special age (historical value) or antiquarianism (special inheritances). In most instances, service or repair works do not make any sense with those grand pianos. For this reason, these grand pianos should not be used for beginners and piano students. Such musical instruments are not suitable for a serious piano education. That means, instruments containing a Viennese−style action are older than 90 years by now. Why should you refrain from instruments with a Viennese−style action? The last instruments constructed like this were built in Austria around 1920. You can see a picture of the cross−section of a Viennese−style action under the menu item “Technical Information”.

The arrows show you the damping and the fulcrum of the hammer handles which mark this difference. The pictures above show how you can detect a Viennese-action. This old grand piano often works with a Viennese−style action.

Continually old instruments show at antiques dealers or inheritances.

Ab chase upright piano serial number