W.Bachmann Piano

[firstshrike]

hi, i have recently purchased a secondhand upright piano and was trying to uncover its history.
Inlaid in brass under the keyboard lid is W.Bachmann Berlin, and inside the piano in large carved numbers is 4134, any help would be appreciated

[Bill Kibby]

Sorry, no dates of numbers are available for this particular Bachmann. With german uprights, if you know how to remove the action (the working parts of the notes) safely it may have the action makers' name and number on the rear, and we may be able to date the piano.

[firstshrike]

hi bill thanks for the reply, any idea when bachmanns where made i.e from 19-- to 19--

[Bill Kibby]

"Hint gotta clew" as they say in this part of the world. You have more clues inside your piano than we have in our whole archive. See

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/datem ... ianos.html

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/reports.html

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/archives.html

[cathhooper]

Firstshrike - I too have an old Bachmann with a brass inlay that reads W.Bachmann Berlin. Mine has a sustaining issue in the middle registers so I rang around to see if anything could be done. One kind piano tuner informed me that according to his catalogue the serial number 21000 was being used around 1895... (My piano is serial 19281 so you can imagine how old it is!). If you could forward me any information you come across regarding age that would be fantastic. Cheers, Cath.

[Bill Kibby]

The published serial numbers refer to Carl Bachmann, not W. Bachmann. When you say "sustaining issue", do you mean that notes sustain when they shouldn't? Most British and German upright pianos of the late 1800s and early 1900s have the dampers mounted above the hammer, and being so close to the top ends of the strings, they do not stop the notes efficiently. New damper felt may help, but often, it is found to be a waste of money - it's a design fault. Have you read the pages I suggested above?

[cathhooper]

Hi Bill, thanks for your prompt reply - I have checked out those links. That certainly helps. My piano sounds a regular note length in the bottom register and very top register however the middle two or so sound as though the sustain pedal is permanently on. It has however just be moved by truck about 200km so I'll let you know what the piano tuner thinks - hopefully some old mechanism simply needs tightening. It is a beautiful old piano and I would love to be able to give it a bit more life.