Eavestaff Pianette Minipiano

[Snaarch]

Good evening,
I have had an Eavestaff Pianette Minipiano "as Used by HRH Princess Ingrid of Sweden" since I was a kid. We bought it second hand and I was interested in finding out approximately how old it actually is. After reading your article on the history of the Eavestaff Minipiano I looked for the S/N which is 156588. I noticed in another post that you said that the serial numbers are notoriously unreliable - but an approximate date would be interesting.
Hope you can help.
Thank-you
Rachel

[minksii]

I am thinking of acquiring what I think is a very similar model for a nominal sum. The piano has the serial number 151892 and would also love to know the approximate date.

There is a small twang on a couple of the lower notes and 3 of the high notes are sticking. I know that there are some negative opinions about these pianos here, but I would be interested in hearing other's experience in tuning and / or repairing the action on these pianos. I was expecting a sound that was much softer and a really light action but was very pleasantly surprised at how nice the piano was to play and was impressed by its tone for such a small piano. It has "loudspeakers" on either side above the keyboard

Some other info from the piano - on the metal bit in front of the soundboard (sorry don't know what it is called) it says 'Minipiano Patent No 377641 Patents Pending', I don't know if any of this is relevant.

All I know about the purchase is that the piano was acquired about 40 years ago potentially new, but possibly not by the current owner's grandfather in Australia.

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

They are a quirky piece of furniture but horrid as musical instruments.
Get one, enjoy it, but don't pay more than £100

[Gill the Piano]

The one you're talking about is fine; not wonderful, but not as dreadful as the one with the tuning pins below the keyboard. You have to lift up the whole front (using the music stand as a handle) to put the keyboard lid (the fall) away, yes? And when you look inside, the action is at an angle to the horizontal? If so, it's not a bad beastie, and would get someone to grade 5ish if it's been well-maintained. The problems lie in doing work to the action...but that's why you pay a tuner/tech!

[Colin Nicholson]

I restored a mini Eavestaff about 8 years ago for a customer - it was fully restored, new strings & complete action refurb. It was a 1930's art decor mini piano with 76 keys, and although awkward to remove the action, once in the workshop, a doddle.

This one had the mechanism at the back, and it worked 'back to front', and as Gill said, the tuning pins were under the keyboard - double ended, and passing right through the wrest plank. Keys were awkward to rebush, and I had to have special wedges made to re-cloth the backs of the keys to allow for the lift rod couplings to slot into. This also had chrome fluted - electric candle bulbs & chrome banding.

Very tricky to tune, and after tuning it, I decided to go back to being a tight-rope artist & trapeze acts!!!

When they work OK & tuned, a nice little piano, but expect hefty bills for repairs/ regulating & removing the action is a mammoth task. Tuning them involves removing the back cloth panel, and then leaning over the top of the piano to change the position of the tuning wedges (mostly bi-chords & mono chords). Pedals also difficult to remove.

There!!