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 [...]
Category Archives: Antique Pianos
Piano serial numbers
April 14, 2010 – 8:18 am
We are often asked to give a particular pianos age and most of the time it is based on finding a serial number so that we can cross reference with the date of manufacture. Many piano manufacturers placed serial numbers in a variety of places. Pianos also have other numbers printed on them such as [...]
How to clean piano keys
April 2, 2010 – 9:50 pm
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 [...]
Purchasing used pianos
March 26, 2010 – 8:58 pm
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 [...]
Care of the Piano Finish
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, [...]