What's the story with Zender

[Bennyfingers]

My pi-ah-no is a Zender, but I can find precious little about who the company is/was, when it was manufacturing, what country they were based in etc.

If anyone knows any trivia about them it would be interesting to know.

thanks a lot

ben

[Gill the Piano]

I can tell you they're English and finished production in - I think - the 80s - but Bill will tell you far more and in much greater detail.

[Bill Kibby]

Gill's confidence in me is perhaps ignoring the fact that, in the absence of funding for modern research, I mainly deal with antique pianos. Which Zender are we talking about? Henry or Sydney? Up to the twenties, Henry was making pianos in London, but the modern firm from the thirties onwards was Sydney Zender. Most of the British piano trade melted away in the eighties. I have no details ready, no doubt one of our regulars will have more information about such recent history, but as I understand it...

From 1980, Zender ceased manufacture when the lease on the premises ran out, and Zender pianos were then made by Barratt & Robinson.

From 1984, Zender pianos were made by Bentley, #69,001 onwards.

Other names used on Zender pianos at some time include Hopkinson, Giles Reislan and perhaps Reisbach. Royalette was also a Zender model name.

For date-marks in the piano, see my website...

[Bennyfingers]

cool, cheers guys!