Crane and Sons Ltd Wrexham and Liverpool

[jasper]

Hello, I have read the previous postings about Crane pianos with great interest and wondered if you could help me date mine. It was 'old' when I bought it for £100 in 1973 and it has served me and my family well. When it is tuned it can only be tuned to a semitone below concert pitch (whatever that means!). I have tried to look after it with new felts etc when required but old age and decrepitude are setting in (with both me and the piano) and it is more sensitive to damp and temperature changes these days and doesn't last too long between tunings before it goes off key again. It has a number stamped inside the top right wooden frame: C&S 155535. On the bottom central metal frame it has
H
623 13AD

I am assuming the long number is the stock number. Could you advise me about the two numbers on the metal frame? Many thanks.

[Bill Kibby]

I can only estimate that the C&S number is early thirties. Other numbers cast into iron frames are sometimes date codes, but many are of no help, and I don't recognise this one. There may be clues inside, so have a look at pianogen.org

The International Standard Pitch means that theoretically, instruments from all over the world can be played together and will be in tune. If your piano is a semitone below pitch, it can be raised very gradually on each tuning, but might take 8 tunings to get to the correct pitch, during which time it would not line up with any notes of a standard instrument. Your tuner is the expert on the spot, and obviously decided that the piano wasn't up to the task.

[jasper]

Many thanks
Jasper

[brainscott]

Hey there..!! Thank you for sharing this great stuff with us..!!