Humphreys London piano

[naturalrussia]

Hello,

I need urgent advice. I have found a piano on the internet which i am going to see soon. The make is Humphreys London. It has not been tuned for quite a while, since the owner has not been using it. I don't know much about pianos. It looks good, but of course a good piano is not defined just by looks. Does anyone know about the make? What should I be looking at? Would appreciate your comments.

Best wishes

Galina

[PianoGuy]

You should be paying a qualified tuner to go along with you.

Nobody can give you much guidance over the net, and the net is not a good place for the novice to find a piano, but if it's not an overstrung and underdamper design then walk away. There are many cheap pianos out there but a good proportion of them are nasty. The brand name means nothing at all, since it'll be a "stencil" piano badged up for a dealer.

[jackg]

I thought Humphrey was the cat resident at 10 Downing Street, I never knew you could call a piano Humphrey.
It could have been confusing at no.10 if the piano was called Humphrey as well as the cat.
"I am just going to play Humphrey."
"Eek," says the cat.

[A440]

Is it an A and E humphrys by any chance? My next door neighbour is a retired tuner and it was his father and grandfathers firm. I have been looking out for one for him for some time. I found one once and it had just been scrapped (the action burned) I only missd it by a few hours, strange really.

[Serendipity]

I found this post as I googled A & E Humphreys...I know the Humphreys family too. I just found some of the old (very old!) advertising material that we used as scrap paper to draw on when I was a kid. Do you still live next door?

[A440]

Yes! Roy and Betty are next door still. Strange as I'm a tuner, he and his wife worked all their lives as technicians looking after education pianos in London and my neighbour on the other side is an organ builder! We all live in Otley which itself has a history of piano making (Laurance and Nash). Please let me know what you'd like to do with the items I'm sure they would be very interested I can supply their address if you don't have it already. Thanks!

[roderick]

I have a Japanese friend who has an old A & E Humphreys piano ( 1920?) and who wishes to dispose of it. Could you please give me the address of the family members you mentioned if you think they would be interested.
Thanks,
Roderick Speller

[Serendipity]

I do have the address my mum and Betty are still in regular contact. Tell them Jane says hello and as we are up north at the end of August I'll try and pop in and see them!
Their house was always full of piano bits - and big dogs

[ggglhf]

You should be paying a qualified tuner to go along with you.

Nobody can give you much guidance over the net, and the net is not a good place for the novice to find a piano, but if it's not an overstrung and underdamper design then walk away. There are many cheap pianos out there but a good proportion of them are nasty. The brand name means nothing at all, since it'll be a "stencil" piano badged up for a dealer.

Yes,You should be paying a qualified tuner to go along with you.