Broadwood Baby Grand

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yawn
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Broadwood Baby Grand

Post by yawn »

I have recently inherited a Broadwood baby grand but it is a hundred miles or so from my home. It is, according to an executor, 57" front to back. I have a functional modern Eavestaff upright: I want to know whether the Broadwood is likely to be a better piano - I have only room for one and cannot view the instrument before collection. I know the Broadwood is about thirty to forty years old and in very good condition - it has been looked after.
Andrew Strong
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Post by Gill the Piano »

Make sure it is thirty to forty years old, not just that it has been owned by those people for that length of time. Broadwoods are one of the oldest piano firms around and there are an awful lot of very old Broadwoods about. Because they used top quality veneers the pianos age very gracefully and often seem newer than they are. If you can establish a serial number, then Bill can find the age for you. Value also depends upon condition, so it would be best to approach a local tuner (either the one who looked after it for the last owners, or one from the list on this site) for an evaluation of the instrument before committing yourself to something which, although a grand, might not be a better bet than your Eavestaff.
yawn
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Further info on Broadwood 'Baby Grand'

Post by yawn »

I have a serial number for the piano - 252186 - that dates it around 1933. It has six octaves running from A to E. A friend who plays and who has seen the piano says the sound is good, it looks very good and the action is terrific. Can anyone tell me anything further about the quality of a Broadwod piano of this age?
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Bill Kibby
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Broadwood

Post by Bill Kibby »

It's a Broadwood, it will have been well-made. A baby grand this small will have very little soundboard area, so the tonal quality is restricted. If it's really 6 octaves, that restricts the area even further, but 6 octaves can't run from A to E, it would be A-A or E-E. E-E is unlikely. A-A is usually 7 octaves. 6 octaves is usually F-F. How many notes?

Baby grands almost always have inferior actions too, but some people think they're wonderful, and it's all about personal taste. I wouldn't swap it for a Miniroyal, if that's what you have, but that's only my opinion. No-one else can tell you whether you will like it, and no-one can tell you what the condition of the wrestplank is like without tuning it.
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