Schubach piano made by Bansall

[JohnG]

Can anyone help me date a Schubach piano, probably made by Bansall , embossed number on rim 109244. This same number is pencilled on some of the keys preceded by Durand, presumably the maker of the action.

[Bill Kibby]

Schubach seems to be an alias used by a dealer (possibly Selfridges) on pianos bought in from anonymous London wholesalers, (such as Bansall) and no record appears in my files so far of a real maker called Schubach. If this is Bansalls' serial number, it would suggest 1926. This date is based on others that I have found actually dated on a label under the bottom keys, have you already looked there? There were two piano firms named Durand, I don't know of a connection, but the most likely explanation is that a Mr Durand worked on the keys in the factory.

[JohnG]

Thanks for your very prompt reply. The piano was sold by Millers of Sidney Street, Cambridge and I hope to speak to their MD this week who has some fifty years service with the firm. There is a paper label under the keys with an order number 6236, which I guess was Miller's number and I hope to get clarification from this gentleman. Whether the ledgers have been preserved would be a very long shot but I will let you know any result.

[Bill Kibby]

I understood that Millers were no longer in business, I had a friend who worked for them as a tuner. I am always interested to hear from anyone who has stock records from the 1800s, they are so difficult to find. I think it unlikely that the retailer would put a paper label under the keys, it sounds like the sort of thing the key makers would put on there, with an order number and a date.

The Numbers page at pianogen.org includes the following entry...
1936 Schubach #7700
This is a definite date, maker unknown.