Gebruder Knake Munster

[purplefrog]

I have just been given a Gebruder Knake Munster piano. It won't fit in my flat and I'm devastated. I don't know anything about pianos except I used to play when I was younger and was really looking forward to taking it up again. I have found out it's hard to date them, I know it 's overstrung and has been well looked after and regularly tuned and played in church. I feel like I've committed a crime, this beautiful old piano obviously has a history and here it's ended up sitting out in the cold for the first time in it's life. Does any one have any advice on what I can do next? I would love to know more about the piano, but I've a feeling the more I find out, the more my heart will break. I was so happy to be getting it and now I feel just awful that I could be the cause of it's demise. I am really at a loss. Has any one got any advice, knowledge or even words of comfort they can share with me?

[Bill Kibby]

Sorry, I don't have any crumbs of comfort to offer, people ask me every day how to dispose of old pianos, most ordinary ones have very little value. I wish I could make a pound on every one. However, Walt Knake was looking for one to buy, where in the world is your piano?

[purplefrog]

Thank you. Piano is in Ashington, Northumberland,UK

[Colin Nicholson]

Here is one suggestion, desperate measures !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJzG7CSY ... re=related

Ashington.... near my neck of the woods when I was young! Drove up Worrel bank recently, and there's a roundabout there now near the tip !!
Have a word with Tyneside Piano Co.... they are based somewhere in Ashington.

[leila]

Hello!
Just after some related help too. We bought a second hand Gebruder Knake piano a few years ago - needs tuning - because we loved it - it's a beautiful semi-circular shape. I'd like to find out more as I've never seen one this shape before but have no idea where to start. Would appreciate any help - we're based near Norwich. Thanks Leila

[Bill Kibby]

Norwich is not far away from Yarmouth, so perhaps I might see it one day when we are over that way. Let me know if you need a tuner. There have been various upright pianos, grand pianos, and even "square" pianos made in roughly semi-circular shapes, I presume yours is a grand? Could you upload some pictures here, or email them to me? Please include pictures of the WHOLE piano, unobscured by dogs, stools, vases, etc..

Also, although no proper dates of Knake serial numbers are available, it would be interesting to know if it has any numbers inside.

[Bill Kibby]

I would guess the piano was made around 1920, but it is very difficult to tell with baby grands of the 1900s, the outer design may be unusual, but there is nothing much to distinguish it technically from others. It is simply a semi-circular grand, one of several shapes of symmetrical grand. The only way we might find a date is if your tuner can find the action makers' name and number inside the piano.