John Brinsmead boudoir grand

[Flying Tadpole]

My John Brinsmead & Sons "boudoir grand" which I have loved and cherished since I got it from a barn in the Barossa Valley in 1964 is No. 31921 which from the Piano Page lists puts it late 1880 or early 1881. I suspect this was part of a shipment following the splash JB&S made at the 1880 Sydney exhibition.

THis is still very much a working piano in constant daily use. I would be interested in hearing of any older or similar age still working (as distinct from ornamenting). (In other words, is this a record ;) WOuld it be worth a small website?

Tim Fatchen

[Barrie Heaton]

c1878 Grand with step down action rail S/n 29996 6'00 However, the published S numbers are not very accurate on this one Key bed was dated 18??

I tuned and repaired it about 5 year ago all original parts did some work on the beamrail as it was split other that that when re-regulated it played very well and what a bass.

Also quite a few uprights is far order around that date

Barrie,

[Flying Tadpole]

Nice to know it's not alone--I've seen the occasional upright but I've never seen another Brinsmead grand. Yet the country (Australia) must have been crawling with them in the late Victorian era...anyway, mine survived!

The bass is amazing, I agree...I need to overhaul the action at this stage: hammers (which were refelted in 1964) are revoiced, but there's worn leather and general wear. Nevertheless, all hard parts are still original. I'm tuned almost a semitone down, though, as the strings are elderly. One day I'll bite the bullet and get it restrung (ouch).


Tim Fatchen

[Bill Kibby]

Well, I can't speak for Australia, but there are LOADS of old Brinsmead grands around from the 1880s or earlier here, some with the Top Tuners. The numbers for some of the vistorian ones don't line up with the exhibition dates, has it got any dates of medals illustrated on it?

[Bill Kibby]

It's never a good idea to try to pin down the date within a year, because the manufacturing process was so long. Keys were often a year earlier, and frames could be as much as 6 years earlier. These may help:

Circa 1865 Serial number #6,190: The published numbers are wrong.
1867 Medaille d'Honneur, Paris.
1868 Patent for Perfect Check Repeater Action.
Circa 1868 #9,000.
1869 Silver medal, Netherlands.
1869 Prize medal: Le Diplome de la Mention Extraordinaire, Amsterdam.
1869 Gold medal, Paris. Piano #13,000
1871 Patent for "Perfect Check Repeater Action".
Circa 1871 #14,000.
1874 Grand Diploma of Honour, Paris.
1875 Patent for Perfect Check Repeater Action.
Circa 1875 #18,000.
1876 Grand Prize Medal & Diploma of Honour, Philadelphia.
1877 Gold Medal & Diploma of Merit, South Africa.
1878 Gold Medal (L'Acadamie National) & Silver medal, Paris.
1880 Prize medal Brisbane / Sydney
1881 Prize medal Melbourne.

[Flying Tadpole]

Well, I can't speak for Australia, but there are LOADS of old Brinsmead grands around from the 1880s or earlier here, some with the Top Tuners. The numbers for some of the vistorian ones don't line up with the exhibition dates, has it got any dates of medals illustrated on it?

Sory---been out of touch for a while....yes, it is a top-tuner, no, it's totally devoid of any medals whatsoever!

[Flying Tadpole]

THis is still very much a working piano in constant daily use.

All the tuners in the forum can now wince at its untuned state on http://music.download.com/timfatchen
The photo is the piano, and all songs marked "acoustic". The music will be out on CD shortly, and you'll still be able to wince at it...I still have a LOT of work to do on the action...