W.H.Barnes

[ef12]

My new piano is very old...

Hi,

We baught us a piano, W.H. Barnes. We would like to know if this concidered a good brand, and if there's a way to find actually how old it is.

Thanks!
Efrat

[Bill Kibby]

Generally speaking, Barnes were average commercial pianos, but they were made by several different factories, so serial numbers do not help. Any clues will be hidden inside the piano.

If you could upload some photos of the whole piano here, or email them to me, I may be able to estimate the date.

[ef12]

I think this link is available for public https://www.facebook.com/media/set/edit/a.3925239842258.161245.1017489537/

Under the title "W.H. BARNES LONDON" There's a number "Rec no. 541609" and inside the body there's another number - 58461.

(and thanks for the quick reply!)

[Bill Kibby]

Thanks, but Facebook has been responsible for some major problems for our children, I will have nothing to do with it.

[ef12]

OK, so I'll have to find how to upload photos in this interface :-)

I think (hope) I did it

[Bill Kibby]

It seems more modern than many Barnes pianos, perhaps fifties?

[ef12]

the owner (now- ex-owner) thought sixties, than the guy who exmined it said at first glance fifties, as you said. But when he looked into it he said that it's much older - tweny-ish. He couldn't be more accurate. He said he has to look for it by the numbers.

[Bill Kibby]

Numbers won't help unless we know which factory made it. Have you looked at pianogen.org yet?

[vernon]

looks very much like a 20's piano, "modernised" in the 50's. Would need to see more pics. Likely to be overdamper

[Bill Kibby]

yes, you are absoltuely right Vernon, but I am not sure if Barnes did modernisation on secondhand pianos?

[vernon]

After work at the piano factory in Kentish Town some of us would go to an old building where we "modernised" old pianos for this old chap to sell on.
Sometimes we even put new actions in I seem to remember. Seems like Dickens,looking back.
No doubt several Barnes passed through our fingers.
" Gors and Kranz" was a favoured transfer