William Sames

[bertus.s]

Hi, my name is Bertus Schutteand live in South Africa. I inherited an upright William Sames piano from my grandmother. She inherited it from her grandfather. Apparently he bought it in 1888 and had it shipped from the UK to South Africa. When the Boer War started I think in 1898 it was kept in a little mud house for safe keeping in which one of the farm workers stayed for safe keeping. The chair was thrown into a nearby dam and after the war they luckily got it out again. In 1943, after the 2nd world war, Italian prisoners of war restored the outside of the piano, but unfortunately some of the gold writing got rubbed off in the process and I would love to know exactly what it might have said. All I can make out is the following:
William Sames
Mozart Works _A_SA__ Heat_ England
Then just right above the piano keys there were something else written as well, but cannot make out anything.

I can still play it, got a unique sound, needs tuning regularly, but otherwise I love it to bits. It's my most proud posession. If nobody can help me figuring out what was written on the piano, I hope at least that some of you would enjoy hearing my story. The serial number on it is 11971.

Bertus

[Bill Kibby]

He was at Mozart Works, Omberley Road, Birmingham.

[jaywat]

Just to add to the Serial number saga for these pianos, I have a William Sames piano with the number 20807 stamped up on the top right of the case under the lid near the key and again down at the bottom on the backboard behind the frame. as it appears twice I am assuming it is probably the serial number. Now to find if it is possible to tell when it was made?

[Bill Kibby]

The item above is suggesting that #11971 was made in 1888, but this seems wrong because #11839 is definitely 1905, and #11398 is thought to be about 1911. Having said all that, it is unwise to rely on numbers. If Bertus could email some photos of his piano to me, I may be able to judge whether it could possibly be 1888. I collect bits and pieces of information that come in, but they don't amount to much other practical help with Sames' dates, and although someone told me that a website had dated their piano to 1912, they didn't give me the number, and couldn't remember which website! All I can suggest is that you have a look at my Datemarks page at http://www.PianoGen.org

[eynta]

I'm sort of in the dark about piano's. My daughters are taking lessons. I got... what I thought.... was a good deal on a used piano. The woman told me it was about 10 years old, only played for maybe 3 years. It plays ok but no one I know has ever heard of Sames piano. I can't find anything on line about the company and from what I've read, I highly doubt it it's only 10 years old. I tried finding a serial number but I can't. I found the brass logo so I know it's from England and I know it's Sames. Can anyone tell me anything at all about this piano? Like about how old it 'MIGHT' be? How long ago did the company stop making it? How much longer will it last? It seems to play ok but a friend told me that something happens to it, it would be hard to find parts to replace it.

[Bill Kibby]

There are thousands on entries for Sames pianos on the net. Sames' factory fire is thought to have happened in 1928, photos show that the interior was destroyed, but production continued, possibly from another firm. Geoff Salminen was told that his 1934 Sames piano was the last one made. The exterior of the factory building in Ombersley Road, Birmingham B12 still exists, and can be seen on Google Earth. Without photos I cannot guess, but a 2000 piano would be very different to a 1934 one!

[stownley]

Hi,

Balsall Heath is in the B12 area of Birmingham the same area as Ombersley Road and fits your lettering:

Mozart Works _A_SA__ Heat_ England

Hope that is of some help.