UK Piano Page Piano Forum

No new developments yet. Still clearing a prior project off my workbench before I can get some action on the Zender. Once started (probably in about two or three months given my work schedule) I will be updating this post.

Thank you, I shall try and have a look at them when I am down there next month.

It definitely looks as if the wrest plank has had to have been secured at some stage. I did not pay enough attention to the bolts at the back of the frame (as I had seen something like that before). Frame bolts.jpg That is the treble end, and here is the wrest plank bass end showing the 'emergency r...

It is now housed in the main Anglican church in Timaru.

Where abouts are the Begg's stockbooks held? In private hands or a public archives somewhere?

Oops, I did not phrase that too well. Charles Begg has the claim to have made the first piano in New Zealand in Dunedin in 1864.

Those bolts seem to have been an afterthought as it would seem to be a fair deduction from the marking on the bridge and the cut felt that there were strings originally.

The odd spacing on the bridge, and the marks seem to indicate that there are broken strings (bottom B and Tenor C), but looking at where a corresponding pin should be located has a rather large bolt head, (also at middle f). It seems quite odd having the bolts right in the midst of the pins - almost...

I am curious as to the reference to Charles Begg's stockbooks. Is this a reference to the Account Books April 1914 - October 1919 held in the Hocken Library, Dunedin, NZ - or are there other company books held elsewhere?

I think the claim is to have made the first piano in New Zealand (1864).

I am interested in the comment about having a history of Charles Begg in New Zealand. Is is a published work, or a family work? There has been a book published in 2012 by Ngaio Press called ' Meet me at Beggs ' and written by Claire Gleeson (Gt gt granddaughter of Charles Begg). There is a photograp...

Zender external.jpg Zender action markings.jpg Zender action.jpg Further to my first post - I went into the shop after New Years, and got permission to take the action out. Three quarter metal frame, no broken strings, pins felt tight (the marks visible on the bass pins are gold paint, and the thre...

Henry Zender internal copy.jpg I have seen for sale a five octave (61 note) Henry Zender & Co piano (In Timaru, New Zealand). The only information that can be trace through a nationwide newspaper search, only the local Timaru musical instrument seller was advertising Zender pianos, and only fro...