Louis Renner Upright Piano

[kaishin]

Dear All,

I have just done a major overhaul to my piano and is curious to know the actual age of it.

This piano was bought 2nd hand in 1994. Till date, I have ownership of it for nearly 18 years. I have searched the net for information to see if there is any wee light on finding out the actual age of it. But it seems like it leads to very little information.

All I know is, it is a upright piano printed 'Louis Renner - Stuttgart' and a number '14593' printed on the inside.

Anyone have any advice on how I go about finding its actual age or any information on it? Thanks in advance !

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

Please could upload some photos of your piano so that we can see the cabinet design. Please let us know if that number you found was found on the piano cabinet, the metal frame or perhaps on the piano action. Thanks

[kaishin]

hi,

Please see pictures as below:

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

I'll check my book when I get to work to see if there is an entry for Louis Renner
Back soon...

[kaishin]

Thanks !

Please see more pictures of it below :

[Bill Kibby]

Louis Renner was established in 1882, and is said to be the same Louis Renner who found fame in the piano trade as a maker of high-quality actions, used by some of the top makers. This piano has the look of a post-war piano, so it may belong (like me) to the baby boom generation, but no dates of his serial numbers are available, and any clues may be hidden inside, so I would suggest having a look at my Datemarks page at http://www.pianogen.org

A few dates of Renner action numbers are available, but they are much older, and will not help here.

[vernon]

Sorry to differ with Bill but it appears to me to be clearly pre-war and has been modernised in the 1950s.
The curved columns and top door are the give-away. Also the celeste. Looks clean though

[Bill Kibby]

You are allowed to differ! I took it to be an underdamper celeste, and overdamper vertical-strung pianos with celeste existed in the fifties. The case looks more fifties London than modernised Stuttgart to me, but twentieth-century pianos are often vague, and the clues will be on the frame and keys.

[vernon]

Bill
I really can't remember any overdamper joannas being made after the War, even using up left -over bits from pre-war.
Don't forget there was 100% purchase tax on new pianos then so the only British trade was in second-hand "modernised" pianos like the illustrated Renner.

[vernon]

I would date it 1920s.
Keys need a bit of levelling!

[Bill Kibby]

Nathaniel Berry still made overdamper straight-strung uprights with celeste soft pedal and underneath pedalling in 1956. I worked for them in the sixties and seventies. I think pianos were still made, but a high percentage were only for export. In 1951, Renn advertised somewhat similar pianos, but with rounded top corners. Chappells' 1958 ad was closer.

This one looks like it has underdampers and wooden standards, and perhaps a hand-operated celeste stop as well as half-blow soft pedal. Can we see the action please? And since you obviously know how to take it out, are there any markings on it, perhaps on the rear of the hammer rail?

[Johnkie]

I would date it 1920s.
Keys need a bit of levelling!

Might just possibly be, 'cause the keys don't have the action sitting on them Vernon !!

[vernon]

well spotted O great hawkeye!

[kaishin]

Hi Bill,

The action has been sent to the workshop for major overhaul. Everything is rusted and things were falling off the moment the technician assessed it. It seem like the previous owner repaired it as well. There were traces of old glue on certain places. I will upload more pictures once I get the action back. I recalled seeing some other serial numbers on the action as well.

This major overhaul is coming up to close to SGD 1,500.00 (GBP 747) and I am expecting more to come for the tuning and raising of pitch.

Nathaniel Berry still made overdamper straight-strung uprights with celeste soft pedal and underneath pedalling in 1956. I worked for them in the sixties and seventies. I think pianos were still made, but a high percentage were only for export. In 1951, Renn advertised somewhat similar pianos, but with rounded top corners. Chappells' 1958 ad was closer.

This one looks like it has underdampers and wooden standards, and perhaps a hand-operated celeste stop as well as half-blow soft pedal. Can we see the action please? And since you obviously know how to take it out, are there any markings on it, perhaps on the rear of the hammer rail?

[kaishin]

oh another reason why the piano still has its glossy and well looked finishes, my dad has actually varnished it with lacquer before. It does not look like this when it first came.