Allison Grand

[classic-keyboard]

Can anyone venture an opinion on Allison grand pianos? I'm thinking of buying one and may be going to see it in the near future.

[Gill the Piano]

It's a bit like asking what Rolls Royces are like - depends how old and how it's been looked after! Allison were one of the leading British makes at the beginning of the twentieth century and very solidly made. The uprights I tune are very good for their age, but the only grand I tune is in dire need of rebuilding - so much so it's impossible to tune because the touch is so uneven and unreliable. That isn't the piano's fault, though, and I feel it was a quality job when new. (The customer was concerned when I said it needed complete restoration...so she had it repolished! )
As with any older piano, a lot depends on how it's been looked after over what has been a long life; get a technician to do a thorough inspection and report on it for you - better safe than sorry!

[classic-keyboard]

Actually that's a really helpful answer. Knowing nothing about the brand, I didn't know whether Allison meant quality or trash. I'll go and see the thing on Friday and find out if it's servicable. In a way I kind of hope it isn't perfect because I'm interested in a piano that needs a little work. Day one all I care about it that it tunes...

[classic-keyboard]

I went to see that Allison today. The good news is that I couldn't find a thing wrong with the frame or soundboard. The good news kind of stops there.

Even a newbie like me can see it's had no maintenance in years. The fact that it has someone's name carved in the fallboard suggests it's been in a school or church hall rather than someone's home. The action is all over the place and the strings are covered in rust. Surprisingly it is at about concert pitch and not all that far out of tune.

Apart from the fallboard vandalism, the only other cosmetic issue is that the music desk is not original and doesn't match the rest of the piano.

Obviously I want to buy it. Who wouldn't.

[Gill the Piano]

Well if you want a restoration project, it looks as though you've found one... Beware of breaking
strings if you're a new tuner - the rusty ones can be b*****s, so you have to go very carefully and creep up on it!
Good luck...

[classic-keyboard]

The piano is at auction on eBay. The price just went past ?510 and, with delivery charges to account for as well, I'm going to pass. As an experienced ebayer I'm familiar with the 'caveat emptor' of this business; if I hadn't seen the piano I might have been tempted to bid higher. In my view the seller should have admitted to the cosmetic problems in his description. If the price goes much higher the winner is going to be disappionted. (The seller admitted that I was the only person who took the trouble to go and see it.)

If anyone reading this has an alternative: I'm looking for a grand piano in reasonable playing condition (specifically, tunable) which is 5 foot long or a bit less. It must have a roller action which is complete and playable. It must have a sound plate, pinblock and - preferably - soundboard. If not perfect then the soundboard should be fixable in situ...

[Flaxman]

I have a customer who has a beautiful Allison grand piano which I would say is a baby grand. I know they're called boudoirs (sp?) and it was built in 1939 but has been kept very nicely. The cabinet is gorgeous and the pins are nice and tight. Any ideas how much one would fetch for that? I have pics if that would help. Thanks.

[Gill the Piano]

If it were here and a customer were asking for a private sale I'd say from fifteen hundred quid. I am quite close to London, though, therefore prices are higher, and they're throwing up little houses to cram refeugee Londoners into, so little grand pianos are at a premium. I have no idea what that translates to in earoles (is it about one and a half earoles to the pound?) and I have no idea what the market is like in Ireland.
I also have no idea what a canucker is , but you're lucky to be 'stuck' in Dublin with all that lovely Guinness...

[Flaxman]

Hi Gill and thank you for your response.
The euro to the sterling is about 1.45-1.50ish.
Usually I find that the price of many pianos here would be on par there in the UK but some would have a markup reflecting the difference between the euro and the sterling.
This is really a lovely piano I must say.
By the way, a Canucker is a Canadian which is what I am originally so if you ever get on 'Who wants to be a millionaire', you won't be caught.

Cheers,

Flaxman

[Gill the Piano]

No, but the first sum they give me to answer, I'll be stuffed...