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Pianomate

Glad you asked, I was wondering myself.

Pianomate

Try asking on the pianoworld forum as they are US based and you are more likely to find someone who can help on there.

Pianomate

If you find it textured, use a sanding sealer before painting.

Have you considered an eggshell finish? - it is more forgiving of scuffs and scratches.

My advice on off-white applies to whatever finish you decide on.

Pianomate

The most important parts of getting a good finish is preparation and cleanliness. After washing down with sugar soap you will have raised the grain slightly so rub with fine (400 grade minimum) aluminium oxide paper and make sure ALL the dust is gone (use a vac with a brush attachment) Clean all sur...

Pianomate

If you want a half decent finish, the best way is by spraying. Best and easiest finish would be an oil based eggshell which if careful you might get away by brushing. I would choose an off-white rather than brilliant white so it doesn't look to harsh. High gloss could only be done properly by sprayi...

Pianomate

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BROADWOOD-BABY-GR ... 3358d416ac

No explanation necessary.

Enjoy ................

Pianomate

You won't be able to sell Ivory on Ebay now as they have stopped it, however people on this forum would be very interested.

Pianomate

You may get more info from http://www.musicanic.com

Pianomate

I suggest you go to your browser tools, delete the cache, cookies, history and temporary files. Should be OK after that.

Pianomate

Have you asked Michelburgh if they have any records?

Pianomate

Very nice. Is it a reproducing action? (does it automatically play loud and soft and accentuate notes?)

Looks mid to late 1920s to me

Pianomate

Is there any name on the pianola player action or anywhere else referring to it? Is it 88 note or 65 note? Do you have a photo of the piano?

Pianomate

Serial 8832 is somewhere between 1825 and 1830 (Bill will know more I expect), but that number may not be the serial number. Do you have any photos?

If you know how to remove the keys, have a look at the extreme left key as often serial numbers and dates are written on the sides.

Pianomate

Vernon, does it have the fancy cast pierced Winklemann name plaque/motif attached to the frame at the top LHS?

Pianomate

Do you reckon he does all his ebay listings whilst completely stoned?

Gotta love that Ebay ID! Despite all his aliases on Ebay, it's blindingly obvious it's the same guy!

Wibble Wibble Wibble

Pianomate

You already have the name! I presume you meant th date.

You will need to state the serial number, which will be written somewhere inside the piano, usually at the top righ hand side near to the tuning pins.

Pianomate

I think someone is taking the pee-pee.

If some people are seriously prepared to part with that amount of cash for such a piano, maybe we need to rethink our business strategies! Far more profitable than selling new ones!

It would be cheaper to buy one over here and have it shipped over to you!!

Pianomate

No, nowhere near. Look in the Yellow Pages for traditional French Polishers. You may also find someone under Antique Restoration. They are always going to slip a bit the first time if it hasn't been done for a while as the wires settle. Best not to do too much first time. Let your tuner guide you. G...

Pianomate

Photo of the husband of the house with a bow tied around his meat and 2 veg being led about at a swingers party.

You just couldn't make that one up!!

A number of empty cans of Stella in a school piano...........

Pianomate

Just a bit of blatant trivia - what items have people on the forum found hidden or lost inside pianos? I've found old coins, a postcard and an old photo in the bottom, a mourning card in the keybed and a colleague tuned a piano where the pianist, obviously a secret drinker, kept a stash of liquor be...

Pianomate

Oh, and what's a 78rpm record.........

I have thousands of them for sale, and restore old gramophones too.

Pianomate

When I installed my gun cabinet, I removed the internal partitions and stuck them back the other way up.

Pianomate

Where it is a metallic only application with no wood or fibre componente and there is no risk of getting anything onto woodwork, I use a tiny drop of gun oil from a dropper can. Where there are fibre and / or timber components or getting lubricant onto woodwork is unavoidable, I use the the Rocol PT...

Pianomate

You can't. Once it soaks into the wood, that's it. If you see a piano where the action looks saturated in oil, WALK AWAY! It's ruined. If a piano tuner produces a bottle of WD40, chase him out before he has chance to spray it and never let him back in again! When NewAge mentioned that his tuner used...

Pianomate

The internals are quite different to the player I sold, however the style of the keybed and spindles looks identical. I would agree that the finish appears to be mahogany, and the style is early to mid 1920s. It still has a classical style - Later instruments were more curved, and sloping fronts sta...

Pianomate

WD40 No! No! No! Not suitable for ANYWHERE where there is timber, felt or any other non-metal items. The ONLY aerosol product I use for such applications is Rocol 34235 dry PTFE spray. Contains NO oils or greases. Many years ago, the WD40 company advocated spraying it onto 78rpm records to lubricate...

Pianomate

There must be a number of piano technicians in Madrid. Look it up in your telephone directory.

Pianomate

Farrand was an American brand which was owned by the Aeolian company, and most often used on player pianos, however regular pianos were also made under that name. It will most likely have come from the Aeolian factory at Hayes in the 1920s (others may be able to date it more accurately.) The Farrand...

Pianomate

If you haven't already, look under the "buying a piano" sections on the forum. Chappell were a good brand, however, like all makers, they had different models of varying qualities depending on the price. Bigger is defnitely better as the strings are longer and the sound is better. You may ...

Pianomate

It would all be done in situ. The beauty of French Polish over lacquers is that it can be easily restored and revived without having to strip right back. My main line of work is restoration, so if I were looking at it from the photos, what I would need to do is glue the lifted veneer back down, spli...

Pianomate

If they are hexagonal, you may be able to find a small hex socket in the correct size, and T bar handle to turn it.

Pianomate

You're best to take the advice of your tuner. Nobody on here can give you a realistic opinion without actually physically inspecting it. Date sounds about right for casework. Those German instruments from that period are very well built to a high standard so if your tech is happy you should be OK. A...

Pianomate

The Human Rights Act is of course the Terrorists' and Criminals' Charter!! The thing they all hide behind when found out!
The sooner it is repealed the better!

Pianomate

I remember being told that there were similar mistakes during WW2 with fuel in US gallons versus Imperial gallons, though I expect the GIs were happy with their pints of beer being 25% bigger! mistakes in figuring the fuel supply of the first aircraft to use metric measurements Such incidents are av...

Pianomate

In France they still use the old Ib measurements at markets NO! - The lbs or "livres métrique" used in French markets are "new pounds" at 500 grams and are not the same as the pre-revolution "livre poids de marc" which were equivalent to about 489.5 grammes. If they st...

Pianomate

The keys are probably celluloid. This often has a ripple effect to simulate ivory. From your pictures I guess it dates from about 1920. A piano technician will be able to advise value. It's a bit like buying a car - nobody can value it from pictures. The nearest I can tell you is that unless it has ...

Pianomate

Ask the tuner to look for the serial number. It could also be written on the side of the far left hand key along with a date (can only be seen by removing the key from the piano).

Pianomate

Sounds like a typical late 19th - early 20th Century overstrung German piano. Typical German workmanship, built like a tank. Burr walnut and the motifs you describe are typical of the period. They also seem to survive quite well, having being fitted with high quality actions and components. The easi...

Pianomate

The French had a non-decimal system similar to Britain prior to the French Revolution when decimalisation was introduced. 20 sols or sous to the livre, and each sou was made up of 12 deniers. (i.e. again from tha Latin - Libra, Solidus, Denarius) There were also écus - coins stamped with a shield co...

Pianomate

This Lsd (Pounds/shilling/pence) thing reminds me of a question put to me some 15 years ago by my then French music teacher. Not knowing too much about the British life and culture, he asked if it was true that in England at one time the monetary system was calculated other than on the decimal syst...

Pianomate

(it says $5 is for tuning AND regulating.) I expect $1 would have gone a long way back then. 2d (or 10 cents) would have bought a loaf of bread in 1920 A pint of beer cost about 5d, and milk was about 3d a pint. A 10" popular gramophone record cost about 6d. A bottle of whisky cost 12s 6d. Aver...

Pianomate

I think the "call Ray" part somewhat gives it away

Pianomate

Phone Kemble to find your nearest delaerships.

http://www.kemble-pianos.co.uk/kemble-p ... ianos.html

Pianomate

A 185 grand is more boudoir grand size.

I am told the Lippman build quality isn't great.

Pianomate

I expect you have already come across the site, but Lucy Coad is a wealth of information and advice regarding restoration of square pianos

http://www.squarepiano.co.uk/

Pianomate

The tonal quality of a piano usually depends on the quality of the construction and the length of the strings. The better pianos are what is termed "overstrung" whereby one half of the strings go diagonally over the over half to enable them to be as long as possible, thus a baby grand as B...

Pianomate

Yes, only a piano tuner who actually inspects it can advise, but even if they reckon it is worth having, I doubt it will be worth a lot from what you have described.

Pianomate

No, your piano would have been supplied with acrylic keytops. By that time only the top end pianos were still being fitted with ivory.

Bill will be able to advise date.

Pianomate

The Broadwood and Collard&Collard are both early 20th Century overstrung pianos which have been fully overhauled, the latter being the one which she teaches on. The Kawai being about 10 years old, also for teaching. The cottage piano was donated and not used a lot. The square goes out on locatio...

Pianomate

A pro pianist and teacher in town has a Broadwood Grand piano, Collard boudoir Grand, Kawai upright, Victorian Cottage upright, Regency square piano, Clavinova and Roland keyboard. Maybe you think that's a bit excessive but that's what she reckons she needs!

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