Gerhard Adam Piano AGE??

[Maico]

Hi there! I bought last week a Gerhard Adam Piano (manufactered in Wesel Germany), the Serial No. 19663. Can anyone tell me some more informations (Age) about this Piano or about Gerhard Adam??
Thanks a lot!! Maico

[Bill Kibby]

I'm sorry, I have no information other than that the serial number suggests that it was made in 1915.

[Maico]

Thanks! Do you know why it is so difficult to find some information about Gerhard Adam and his pianos??

[Bill Kibby]

The vast majority of piano names are not listed on the internet, we have over twenty thousand on file, and many of them are meanigless aliases.

[BerndAB]

I recently bought a gorgeous data book "Das Klavierlexikon" edited by Jens-Uwe Wittner, a young piano technician from Leipzig. Underlined: "18.122 Namen und Fabrikate".

His timeline for G. Adam, Wesl, founded 1828, tells that #19,000 was built in 1915, and no. 20,000 in 1919. As then was WW I your piano was probably manufactured ca. 1918 or 1919.

I had a G.Adam, Wesel, a gift from my brother-in-law when he married my sister. He is a professional musician for the church. He ended his studies, got a contract from the catholic church, married, they went to another town, and he bought a new piano (Yahama if I remember correctly) which was exchanged against a Grotrian some years later.

Time strolling on, he seemed more and more jealous on me as his old G.Adam which he once got as a piano student from his parents served for me and served, it is a very good and reliable piano. I had it for 29 yrs... Now it serves for a piano gilrlfriend (after I bought a tiny grand..<shy>) , and she loves the old G.Adam also. If she at any time would want to part from the G.Adam, she must inform me.. And probably I will take it back. he only disadvantage is tension for 425Hz only as there are two tiny cracks in the bass bridge. I got the Adam with one Bass string missing. (the third A from left, tone 26?). At any time another bass string, the G two keys to the left, also cracked. I put the broken string out and continued playing it.

Now the bass strings for these two notes are replaced. (Both strings to one key.., so four in summation). These replacements seem to be the ever first done in100++ yrs. (The piano is from 1909, I forgot to write down the serial no.)

The pinao also kept the tension when being moved. It moved with me four times. And <shy> it was tuned in all these 29 yrs maybe five or six times..

Compared with cars, a G.Adam is no Rolls Royce and no Mercedes, but maybe a very reliable Opel or Vauxhall. Good make.

Maybe that your G Adam might lack a little bit wood qualitiy as it is often said related to war times... But I hope for you that your G. Adam is as good as mine.

(..pls excuse any bad english as I am german..)

[Bill Kibby]

Sorry, I don't follow the logic that says the dates are wrong. Although many such lists are only estimated through the war years, these are published for each individual year, and clearly suggest that #19000 would be 1915.

[BerndAB]

Hello Bill Kibby,

you are right, regarding #19000. And I am probably right as we talk about number 19.663.

#19000 was built in 1915, #20000 was built in 1919, and 1915 was World WarOne. 19663 is closer to #20000 (made 1919) so my assumption is 1918 or 1919.. ... But I may be wrong.

Peace on Earth!

Bernd

[Bill Kibby]

No, you are not wrong, my only excuse is a throat infection, which seems to have invaded my brain. I'll just shut up for now!

[pentecostjim]

Bill, My piano says #14169. What year would that be? In addition, the peg block for the strings is cracked. In your opinion, is it worth the cost to have it replaced? Thanks, Jim

[Bill Kibby]

Nobody can guess the value or condition of a piano without tuning it, but when an old piano is untuneable that is usually the point when it is written off. I nearly deleted your email because its subject heading didn't look like a piano enquiry. I will reply more fully when the carols have died down.

[Bill Kibby]

As I said in my email, the serial number would suggest a date around 1849, but without photos, I have no idea if this is likely, and pianos often have several numbers inside. If you know how to remove the action safely, it may be marked with the action makers' name and number, and we may be able to date this.

1851: Our Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition shows that Gerhard Adam showed a grand & a cottage piano at the Great Exhibition, catalogue number 487.

[carolaxis]

Hello! I´m from Argentina. I would like to know a bit about my piano. It´s a Gerhard Adma No. 7262. There is an inscripcion in bronce letters that says " Gerhard Adam - Wesel - Golden Medaille Antwerpen 1885" Inside the piano there is another inscription that says " Fabricado espresamente para Drancosch & Beines - Buenos Aires". Well, I hope this information would help to find out its history. Thank you!

[athomik]

Hello! I´m from Argentina. I would like to know a bit about my piano. It´s a Gerhard Adma No. 7262. There is an inscripcion in bronce letters that says " Gerhard Adam - Wesel - Golden Medaille Antwerpen 1885" Inside the piano there is another inscription that says " Fabricado espresamente para Drancosch & Beines - Buenos Aires". Well, I hope this information would help to find out its history. Thank you!

I don't know anything about the maker, but Wesel is a town on the Rhine in Nothern Germany, just north of the Ruhrgebiet. It seems that Gerhard Adam started building pianos there in the late 1820's.

[vernon]

Just done a Gerhard Adam Wesel.. Looks about 1920s. Very unpleasant to tune as the long stretch from the wrest bearing under the frame bearing is so long that when you set the pin you can hear it altering. It entails two obtuse bends of about 120 degrees. Nearly did my head in.

[Bill Kibby]

I am sorry I don't seem to have answered carolaxis from Feb 4th, either that or it was another disappearing one. The reference to a medal in 1885 shows that the piano was made after that date, and the number suggests that it was made in 1888. My own website gives information about pianos "manufactured expressly" [Fabricado espresamente] for dealers.