Serial number 1794 Richard Lipp piano

[lpwerring]

Hallo Bill Kibby,

My name is Laurie Werring and I live in Holland. A couple of years ago an uncle of my wife has given us a Richard Lipp piano with serial number 1794. I play the guitar, I can't play piano but we have Uncle's Ben piano still in the family. I really want to know how old this piano is. I've heard that our piano was built before the year 1850 in Germany - Stuttgart - and that the piano is very expensive. Is this really true?

A lot of greetings,

Laurie

[Bill Kibby]

People rely far too much on serial numbers. Why not email some photos to me, and have a look at my Numbers page at http://www.pianogen.org

Age is no guarantee of value but Lipp made some good pianos.

[Bill Kibby]

Lipp was established in 1831, and the first published date of a serial number is #8000 in 1875. Bearing in mind all the usual problems with serial numbers - as explained on my Numbers oage at www.pianogen.org - it is impossible to guess how the numbers ran from 1831 to 1875, or how production increased, but 8000 in 44 years suggests an average of about 181 per year, so it could be around 1840, but I would regard that as a very rough estimate! Photos would help me.

[markymark]

What has happened to the Richard Lipp & Sohn range in UK?

I was in Australia last summer and the people I was staying with had just bought a brand new one. They are FABULOUS pianos (the new ones) but new models are no where to be seen around here! Did the company emigrate?

[Bill Kibby]

Ask Fergus at

http://www.alcyonis.co.uk/index.html?us.html~content

He is a great Lipp fan.