Search found 31 matches

by pianobrereton
03 Oct 2022, 16:26
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: How can I fix a silent system?
Replies: 3
Views: 9358

Re: How can I fix a silent system?

Has anyone had any experience with the Gabor silent system, either installing or using ?
I have a customer who would like a silent system fitted to her 85 note 1930s English piano with a D-type action. Also any advice as to the best system to retrofit to this older piano ?
by pianobrereton
19 Oct 2012, 17:30
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Francis Rwamakuba
Replies: 2
Views: 5395

Re: Francis Rwamakuba

Yes I do have his address and suppose his family still live there but can't be sure .
If you send me an email on pianobrereton@hotmail.co.uk I will reply with his address .

John Brereton
by pianobrereton
19 Mar 2010, 16:21
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

Re: The British Piano Manufacturing Company

Well not to worry , I was just curious !
by pianobrereton
17 Mar 2010, 22:12
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

Re: The British Piano Manufacturing Company

Alastair Lawrence will be giving the Alfred Knight Memorial Lecture in Birmingham on Broadwoods next month Is the lecture open to all and where abouts in Birmingham ? The second hand market for acoustics will still persist and there will be a requirement for technicians, and I expect that restorati...
by pianobrereton
17 Mar 2010, 15:03
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

Re: The British Piano Manufacturing Company

Unfortunately I think you are right . The people who used to by the cheaper pianos are buying digitals, though if they are serious they do upgrade to an acoustic eventually . Like you I also think that there is room at the top to build top quality pianos with individual tasteful case work designs, f...
by pianobrereton
16 Mar 2010, 19:59
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

Re: The British Piano Manufacturing Company

Alastair Lawrence has indeed bought Broadwoods and has relocated them to Finchcocks in Kent . His family connections with Broadwoods goes way beyond his grandfather in fact all the way back to 1787 I believe the green frame Broadwoods are being made in Norway . I spoke to him last year and he said t...
by pianobrereton
03 Nov 2009, 20:42
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Tuning Prices in 1920s
Replies: 28
Views: 24188

Re: Tuning Prices in 1920s

[quote="Barrie Heaton"]So was Hanging but we got rid of that, I bet if we had a referendum that would come back but the EEC will stay in its new dictatorial form once ratified. Bringing hanging back would be a great move we could hang all the politicians who commited treason by signing awa...
by pianobrereton
02 Nov 2009, 19:26
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Tuning Prices in 1920s
Replies: 28
Views: 24188

Re: Tuning Prices in 1920s

I too have no concept of what a killometre or a millimetre is and I have no intention of learning.
It's been part of our culture for hundreds of years and I for one value my culture and will not be giving it up to some unelected unwanted european superstate . WHERE's OUR REFERENDUM !
by pianobrereton
30 Oct 2009, 11:55
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Tuning Prices in 1920s
Replies: 28
Views: 24188

Re: Tuning Prices in 1920s

I still prefer it ! and I still measure in imperial .
In France they still use the old Ib measurements at markets . Though I dont think that they get prosecuted for it like we do here by the thought police .
by pianobrereton
30 Mar 2009, 17:33
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Piano History Centre
Replies: 11
Views: 15521

Re: Piano History Centre

I've just replaced my low light (sorry low energy ) bulb in my living room as I could hardly read with it . I've replaced it with a 150 watt normal bulb and what a difference it's like coming out of victorian times into the 21st century . I think I read the same report that you refer to. Apparentely...
by pianobrereton
18 Nov 2008, 22:19
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Broadwood grand #843
Replies: 3
Views: 6439

Why don't you ask Broadwoods themselves ? They are still around and have a website and for a fee will tell you the history of your piano and who it was originaly supplied to . Just google J.Broadwoods pianos.
by pianobrereton
18 Nov 2008, 15:08
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Windover Grand Piano
Replies: 6
Views: 9192

Windovers were built by the British piano manufacturing company and i would say above average quality . If you are going to recondition this piano it should be well worth the effort as they usually turn out very well . Incidentally in east sussex near to seven sisters is a hill where there is a figu...
by pianobrereton
14 Nov 2008, 19:05
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Francis Rwamakuba
Replies: 2
Views: 5395

Francis Rwamakuba

Francis Rwamakaba ( The remarkable Francis ) passed away in his sleep recently. He was born in Uganda and after becoming blind was brought to England by francican nuns who recognised his musical abilities. He went to Dorton house in sevenoks kent . He also studied at Trinity college of music and wor...
by pianobrereton
06 Nov 2008, 16:10
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: What Do You Get With A New Piano?
Replies: 32
Views: 30748

The Kemble mozart is a very fine piano and very cheap at the price compared to some others mentioned . But I think it would be good idea to have provided you with a little booklet of the companys history and some tips . Perhaps because of its price they feel they can't afford it. It will be interest...
by pianobrereton
30 Oct 2008, 23:11
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Upright or baby grand ?
Replies: 36
Views: 32214

I think you haven't read the original thread. No one was saying that an upright is better than a Grand only that an upright is better than a baby grand .
by pianobrereton
26 Oct 2008, 11:52
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Broadwood Frame Removal .. URGENT help please!
Replies: 12
Views: 16210

Broadwood used their patented threaded Wrest pins from 1862 to 1897 so its just possible it could be , but these grands are quite light. I have one of these as well and can move it on my own .
by pianobrereton
25 Oct 2008, 21:16
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Upright or baby grand ?
Replies: 36
Views: 32214

I think it was Challen who coined the name baby grand . Though Broadwoods were the first to us the term grand piano . Broadwoods small grands were called the model O elfin grand . In my experience of tuning baby grands they are not great instruments being so small and the bass is very dead , but the...
by pianobrereton
25 Oct 2008, 18:58
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Broadwood Frame Removal .. URGENT help please!
Replies: 12
Views: 16210

I have an identical Broadwood grand of this size and vintage and managed to move it myself with the aid of my partner ( a slight french girl ) from my workshop in kent to my new address in London along with alot of other pianos. So i find it surprising that your 4 experts had such a difficult time ....
by pianobrereton
26 Sep 2008, 15:34
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bluthner Model A
Replies: 57
Views: 52344

piano guy wrote; " Come on matey! They're U1 and U3s in drag! " I think we have been here before ! surely it only matters that they are very good pianos and that they are made in England providing a last vital toe hold in piano mass manufacturing. Don't you agree ? ennjaydee wrote ; Actual...
by pianobrereton
25 Sep 2008, 16:45
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bluthner Model A
Replies: 57
Views: 52344

Incidentely, the Kemble 121 Mozart was tested in Europe by a team of World renown concert pianists and came second to a Steinway that was 4 times more expensive . Have you tried the conservatoir or the top of the range K132 ? A few of my customers have the conservatoir and the 121 and rave about the...
by pianobrereton
22 Sep 2008, 11:41
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Specifying a UK Factory!
Replies: 14
Views: 18206

can't say i dissagree but !!!!!! it's a complicated story.Even at the height of British manufacuturing "foreign parts " were used as did foreigners use British parts. The wood itself came from exotic foreign places as did wire for strings and other parts at times . You could also say that ...
by pianobrereton
06 Sep 2008, 16:49
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Broadwood pianos
Replies: 14
Views: 17277

Dr Alastair Laurance is curator of Finchcocks ( its a large country house nr Tunbridge Wells in Kent full of historic pianos ) and its there that Broadwoods are now based, his son Sam is company secretary. They are buliding a new workshop for Broadwoods there . The Laurance family ties with Broadwoo...
by pianobrereton
29 Jul 2008, 11:45
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: digatal vs real
Replies: 6
Views: 8910

I think its pretty unanimous a digital piano is fine if thats all you can afford
but an acoustic or real piano is so much better in all respects as long as you have the space etc. Get a real piano not a poor copy .
by pianobrereton
03 May 2008, 14:11
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Broadwood pianos
Replies: 14
Views: 17277

This is brilliant news ! and it could work. You can't compete at the bottom end of the market with the chinese . As Fazioli and Stuart's have demonstrated if you make top quality pianos there is a market for them and they started from scratch , with no history of excellence unlike Broadwoods . A res...
by pianobrereton
14 Mar 2008, 14:56
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Broadwood & Sons piano
Replies: 21
Views: 23301

oko510 seems to have reprinted my earlier post ? Odd ! The point i was trying to make was that Broadwood were great inovators but the pianos that were made in there prime are now very old and will not sound as good as they did , so its not right to compare them with a modern example. The screwed in ...
by pianobrereton
14 Mar 2008, 13:59
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

There seems a bit of confusion here, i never said that the BPMC had manufactured the Broadwood barless . The story is...... After taking over control of Broadwoods in 1985 Geoffrey Simon decided to steer Broadwoods back to it's glory years by manufacturing something that was uniquely Broadwoods and ...
by pianobrereton
13 Mar 2008, 14:27
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: The British Piano Manufacturing Company
Replies: 26
Views: 29330

British pianos-Broadwood barless

I beleive the Laurence and nash pianos were very well made and that the BBC bought some of them . I wonder what quality the Broadwood barless made by them was ? Labrookes took over production of them when Laurence and Nash went out of business , they even made a barless grand , what happened to it a...
by pianobrereton
04 Mar 2008, 17:20
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Tuning help for a neophyte on a restored Brinsmead.
Replies: 11
Views: 12567

You all seem to be sumising that the fellow who sold the piano didn't tune it to pitch , but if the piano was moved some distance it could easily have gone out of tune and dropped from pitch due to the move and different environment . Perhaps the new tuner didn't set the scale properly or didn't tun...
by pianobrereton
08 Feb 2008, 15:12
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: How much for Bosendorfer Imperial
Replies: 10
Views: 16195

bsendorfer

I think you will find that Bosendorfers have just been taken over by Yamaha . Not sure if thats good or bad but at least they have't gone bust.
jon
by pianobrereton
13 Dec 2007, 15:25
Forum: Piano History
Topic: Broadwood & Sons piano
Replies: 21
Views: 23301

Well said ! Since I've started to view this Forum I've noticed a lot of cynicism particularly about Broadwoods. Why? They were the premier maker for many years and were great innovators. I have a broadwood upright on my rounds which has a full iron frame and a beautiful casework and still tunes to p...