Neumeyer Berlin Piano

[Amanda]

I have a Neumeyer Berlin piano which was bought around 1940 from F H Alcock in Evesham Worcestershire. It has been in my family ever since and I want to find out more about it. I have looked for a serial number but cannot find one. Stamped into the frame is what looks like a harp of some kind and the letters 3a. On the under side of the top it says 'Sole Concessionaries Ibach Ltd, London. My Mother tells me it is an 'upright' grand piano - I think this means overstrung. It has a metal frame and keeps extremely good tune - It has just travelled 100 miles and sounds excellent even though I have not yet had it tuned. Apparently it only ever drops a semitone between tunings even if they are 2 or 3 years apart. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

[Bill Kibby]

Although I have a few pages of information about Neumeyer, exact serial number dates are not published, and there were several Neumeyer firms. What is the exact wording on the piano? Should we assume that it was new in 1940ish?

[Amanda]

Under the lid of the piano (where you get to the keys) it says 'Neumeyer Berlin'. Under the top of the piano case it says 'sole commissioners I Bach Ltd London'. Both of these are painted in gold. On the frame it has 'Neumeyer', '3a' and an emblem which looks like a harp shaped like a w. These are not stamped on the frame but moulded on it. I am not sure if the piano was bought new or second hand from the shop but it does have the shop label stuck on it on the right hand side of the keyboard just above the top keys - 'F H Alcock Evesham'. I can find no more markings on it. Hope this is of some help.

[Bill Kibby]

Ibach Ltd., London, did import Neumeyer pianos in the 1920s, and I can supply a printed booklet on Neumeyer for five pounds, but for a detailed report on your piano, I would need photos, including lots of interior detail. No dates of serial numbers are published.

[Rolf]

Hello Amanda. You seem to be describing our piano. It's a Neumeyer, 3a on the frame, sole whatsname IBACH and the lock seems to have been fitted by Selfridge. My Grandfather bought it, possibly from new, around 1925 and it still has his name 'Golightly' chalked on the back. It is the only heirloom in the family. It started life in Chiswick and was bombed out of three houses with the rest of the family without a scratch on it. On VE day it was carried down the front steps by my uncles and a crowd gathered round it for the celebrations (shame nobody could play ). It has never had any real maintanance though I did have to tune it down a semitone after losing one string. This may be due to the fact that my family always kept a small tubular heater under the case in the days before central heating. Certainly the only clue to it's age is the discoloured ivory. A piano tuner told me, many years ago, that Neumeyer made Panzer Tanks during the war and thereafter changed the name of the pianos to Panzer! This would explain the weight. I recently bought a Korg digital piano and mounted it (this is where the professionals have a sharp intake of breath) on a bracket above the keyboard. This is good for after the kids are asleep, with headphones but during the day It can't compete with the old Neumeyer. It is the sweetest, richest sound to me at least, but then I have probably been hearing it since I was in the womb! I sometimes wonder what Grandad, who was apparently a Wagner fan would think of the Elton John, Al Green and Beatles tunes I regularly murder on the poor old thing. Anyway, It's nice to hear that someone else has one of these lovely old instruments.[/i]

[Bill Kibby]

Are there any numbers on these Neumeyer pianos of yours?

[Rolf]

Hello Bill,
I've never been able to find a number on ours.
Assuming it must be on the frame, I have opened the lid, removed the upper and lower covers, undone the two thumbscrews and dropped out the hammer assembly. Then I looked at every part of the frame a human eye can get to. All I can see are 'NEUMEYER', a big N in a harp, '3a' all these moulded into the frame. Having checked various websites for advice it seems the number really should be somewhere on the upper face of the frame but no joy. I may have to get the digital camera out this weekend just to prove the point. Can you think of any, less obvious places to find the number?

[Bill Kibby]

It sounds like you've checked the piano thoroughly, and there are many pianos of different which don't have a number visible. If you removed the action (the working parts of the notes) there may have been a name and number for the action maker on the rear. Look at my "Datemarks" page by pressing www below, or type pianogen in the address bar.

[markthefish]

Hi
I have read these posts and i also can not find a number on my neumeyer baby grand piano. It had a sticker on the inside saying 'NEUMEYER sole consessionaries for GB Harrods ltd'. I would be really grateful if somebody could help me on this by giving me some sort of information and maybe a prospective value. Thanks very much.

[Bill Kibby]

Baby grands of the 1900s tend to be fairly similar, so it is difficult to say much, even with photos, apart from looking at Datemrks on my website.

[markthefish]

oh i did find a number, it was inside on the wooden frame, it 3456. How much do grand pianos cost to be restored?

[Bill Kibby]

That depends how much of the work is done, how thoroughly it is done, and how expensive the worker is!