George Russell transposing upright

jrewen · Post by **jrewen** » 07 Oct 2008, 18:36

Hi, I've got a George Russell transposing upright with a number on the frame of 19565. On the first key it has a written date of 29 Dec 1905 and a signature which i can't make out but starts with R. On the same key it has another number 12855. Can anyone explain why it has 2 production numbers so far apart? Also, while it has been in our care some idiot has damaged the hammers and leather pieces while moving the transposing keyboard. Repair is needed.

many thanks

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 07 Oct 2008, 23:20

Unfortunately, if the transposing mechanism is not used correctly, it can cause damage. If you read my Numbers page at www.PianoGen.org you will see that most pianos have several numbers. The term "production number" means nothing to me. Makers have serial numbers, key makers have their numbers (which are rarely any help to us), action makers have their numbers (which we can sometimes date), and all that is in addition to model numbers, dealers' stock numbers, etc.. You are lucky to have a proper date on the keys to confirm what the serial number suggests. I can't advise you about repairs from here, ask your local tuner...

Unless you are in East Anglia?