A player piano is a regular upright or grand that plays itself but can also be played normally by any individual. On uprights, the case is usually larger to accommodate the player mechanism. Older player pianos are controlled by pneumatics and newer player pianos are controlled by electronics.
A reproducing piano has an additional element of being able to add musical expression to the performance. These reproducers playback the artists full interpretation of the music when it was originally recorded.
There are 4-5 thousand parts in a player mechanism. This is in addition to the approximately 8 thousand parts in the ordinary piano.
Piano size greatly influences the musical tone and potential of the piano. The larger area for soundboard and string length the better. Lengths, for grands, and heights, for uprights, in general are:
Concert grand 8′-9′
Medium grand 6′-8′
Small grand 4.5′ – 6′
Full size upright 49″ or more
Studio 45″ – 48″
Console 41″ – 44″
Spinet 36″ – 40″
Grand pianos are constructed on a horizontal plane and vertical pianos (uprights, studios, consoles, & spinets) are constructed on a vertical plane. Older uprights that have been named “upright grand” or “cabinet grand” are misleading and incorrect. These were poor attempts at marketing by the manufacturers to increase sales. Likewise, some spinet pianos are labeled consoles to aide in sales.
The Chickering piano company was established in 1823 by Jonas Chickering and James Stewart. It was the first piano company in the United States. The factory was located on Tremont St. in Boston, MA. Chickering took painstaking care down to the smallest detail which assured the Chickering piano the place of honor in the first ranks at the World’s Fair in London in 1851. The Chickering factory burned in 1852 but a new better facility was built. Also, in 1852 Jonas brought his 3 sons into the company and the name became Chickering & Sons. Many piano companies have had family owners who were craftsmen that brought tradition and expert innvention throughout their history.
Jonas Chickering died in 1853 and the 3 sons Frank, Thomas & George continued with the business. Chickering had over 100 employee’s in different departments. Each person would have a specific task in which to specialize, enabling uniformity in the manufacturing process. Chickering was also the first exporter of American made pianos. In 1908 Chickering joined the American Piano Company due to the financial crises of the 1890’s but still continued to maintain the high quality of piano manufacturing it was known for.
Chickering Piano Factory
Chickering Advertisement
Here are some photos of a nice Chickering grand that we restored this year.
The Lester Piano Company, an American standard, was established in 1888 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These were well built affordable pianos and have many good qualities. Lester Piano Company was well know for their Grand pianos, full size uprights and the Betsy Ross Spinet. The company went out of business around 1960. These pianos are consistent and usually worthy of antique piano restoration. Lester also made Leonard, Bellaire, Cable & Sons, Channing, Gounod, Lawrence Regent Schilling, Schubert, and Alden pianos.
- 54" Lester Upright
- Full size upright action
There are many types of piano key covering materials that have been used through the years. Ivory, celluloid, plastic, walrus and even wooly mammoth to name a few. There are also many glues used in adhesion. These glues can be unpredictable when used with chemical cleaners. It is best to stay clear of using any type of chemical cleaner to clean piano keys. To be safe use a damp white cloth followed by a dry cloth. Pay special attention to not allow moisture to penetrate into the wood. If necessary, use a gentle soap added to the water solution. Another safe product for cleaning piano keys is Cory Key-Brite which cleans, brightens, and preserves all plastic, ivory, ivorite, and wood instrument keys. Cory’s instructions for spraying directly onto the keys should be avoided. Spray onto a clean cloth and then gently rub onto the key top surface.
Many potential piano buyers believe they can obtain good quality used pianos for little or nothing. Most often they are very misinformed. Be cautious of free or almost free pianos. There is almost always repair work that needs to be done. There is high demand for good used pianos and many pianos are for sale by private parties. Most of the time, the owner’s idea of quality and value are misinformed and much higher than practical. Before purchasing any used piano from an individual it would be wise to have the piano inspected and evaluated by a quality piano technician. If the current owner is reluctant, find another piano.
Purchasing a piano from a full service professional piano shop can be a good source for quality used pianos. Repairs are made and reconditioning is completed by expert piano technicians. The buyer will get more for their money when purchasing used pianos from a reputable piano shop. Many times warranty, delivery and even tunings are included with a piano purchase from well equipped piano specialty shops.
March 19, 2010 – 10:00 pm
It is often difficult for the average piano owner to determine what type of wood finish was originally applied to his or her own piano. Many types of varnish, lacquer & other material have been used in the past. Setting up definitive rules in cleaning and polishing of all types pianos would be difficult. However, there are some helpful ideas, suggestions and warnings about the care of your pianos finish that we can suggest.
First, avoid anything that contains silicone. Silicone will be absorbed by the finish and can cause the wood to become saturated and difficult to repair or refinish in the future. Second, when cleaning modern high polish and high gloss piano finishes using a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth is acceptable. There are also polishes made especially for these polyester finishes available from most piano technicians and piano stores. We have had good results using Cory piano finish products on all types of piano finishes including polyester as well as lacquer finishes.
When locating your piano in your home try to keep it away from direct sunlight. It will cause the finish to deteriorate; fade and will eventually damage the wood. Direct sunlight can also affect tunings, moving action parts, the pianos pin block and the piano soundboard causing tuning stability issues, cracking, warping and pulling loose from the ribs or case. This damage is sometimes not as noticeable as the color difference in the finish of this grand piano after just a few years of direct sunlight exposure but is just as serious and actually more damaging to the pianos longevity.
Worked on a Grand Piano Company console today. The company was established in 1961 at Morganton, NC. The piano was a console but seemed very much like a spinet. The difference was that the action dropped below the main level of the key bed like a spinet but the keys were angled to drop below the action as well. There was no drop lifter or extension lever with this type action configuration. The action was made by Wood – Brooks in Rockford, IL. The pitch was 115 cents flat but was tunable and able to be brought up to A440. These pianos were originally low cost and easily available to most households. Many times we have had calls from some folks stating they had a “grand” piano but in actuality it was a vertical piano made by the Grand Piano Company. 
The piano bar was well traveled and had lived both in the north as well as the south and according to the customer could tell many stories. I am always glad to run across something new and interesting and on this day it was most certainly a pleasant surprise. Enjoy the photos!
