Dating a Knauss piano

[ellerby8]

I have a Knauss ( of Coblenz ) upright overstrung piano with a serial no. 9272. Is it possible to date this please.

Also the wood "casing" is in excellent condition but I'm not sure if it's mahogany or walnut. It was originally very dark ( still present in the "non-exposed" areas) but has lightened considerably where it has been exposed to daylight. Is it possible to indicate what wood it is most likely to be? Many thanks

[Bill Kibby]

I can't comment on the wood without seeing it. Very few reliable dates are available for Knauss piano numbers, so I am sorry to say that without photos, I can't help with the date either, except to say it is probably before 1905.

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi Ellerby8

The name on a piano and its serial number doesn't give any information in a book about a specific wood veneer type - nor does it even tell you if its an upright piano or grand piano.... all pianos are different, and can only be found out by the owner for that particular piano, or of course photos, as Bill pointed.

This link may help you to determine the wood veneer/colour type:-

http://www.courtneypianos.co.uk/styles.html

Pianos in the Edwardian/Victorian period of a reasonable quality tended to have either a rosewood, walnut, oak or ebony wood veneer. Don't forget that most old pianos are veneered over the top of a carcuss wood. Rosewood tends to have a dark crimson look to it. However, many veneers are stained aswell with wood stain (like your garden shed) - this sometimes enhances the colour to bring out the grain. So what you are looking at is not a solid piece of rosewood/walnut - but a wooden 'skin' of about 1.8mm in thickness. The French Polish added also changes the colour slightly - so often we never know the true look of the original veneer.

Around the 1920's, mahogany veneer became more popular - a more reddish brown. Then again, many pianos were veneered in oak because it was cheaper than rosewood or mahogany, and a French polisher could quite easily apply a ''rosewood stain'' on top of an oak veneer - then we call it a piano in a rosewood cabinet!!

Walnut tends to be a lighter wood, and the grain more ornate. Burred walnut is also attractive. However - again, the eye was often deceived by a polisher applying light dark brown or black brush strokes to simulate the grain of a particular veneer. This is quite common on the fallboard (lid that covers the keys) .

A piano dated over 100 years old may be difficult to spot the right veneer type unless it's stripped down. Partly due to the wood darkening (eg inside the top lid) - and the French polish/ stain fading in sunlight. So you may get ......''it looks like ??''

Hope that helps

Colin