Steinweg

[Gill the Piano]

Are there any numbers anywhere for Steinweg? I tuned a beauty last week, and the name Grotrian is on the fall, but in much smaller letters. Do you happen to know when they merged? The serial number was 3793. I estimate it to be late 1800s, 1895ish, perhaps. Pierce is no use at all when it comes to Steinweg; they aren't listed at all and just given a brief mention in the Steinway section.

[Bill Kibby]

I suppose we are talking about Grotrian Steinweg then? I can't remember seeing them with the names separated. I have been able to confirm some of the Grotrian Steinweg numbers, so 3970 might be 1879, but they weren't called Grotrian Steinweg then! It wasn't just a simple merge, there were complications, but Grotrian Steinweg should theoretically be after 1908. Before, they were Grotrian, Helferrich & Schulz.

Any chance the action might have its makers' name and number?

Did you have your camera with your?

[Gill the Piano]

No, this is Steinweg alone, but with Grotrian mentioned as a tiny aside.

[Bill Kibby]

I can only imagine this was Theodore Steinweg when Grotrian invested in the business, that would put it around 1859.

I wish you had photos!

[NewAge]

Don't know if this helps, but a quick trawl through Google and these show images where Grotrian has not being prominently 'twinned' with the name Steinweg.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TmInfbKYG6E/T6lA9 ... 520003.jpg

http://www.piano-faust.de/assets/images ... anSCH1.jpg

http://www.besbrodepianos.com/photo147/ ... o-INT3.jpg

http://www.besbrodepianos.com/photo154/ ... id-BIG.jpg

http://www.pianoland.be/sites/default/f ... gNachf.jpg

[Bill Kibby]

These still refer to Grotrian, and names associated with them, although the name Grotrian Steinweg didn't begin to be used until 1909.

[Gill the Piano]

The second of those links shows the fall layout on the one I tuned; thanks, NewAge!

[Bill Kibby]

In that case, "Nachf." stands for NACHFOLGER which means successors to Theodore Stenweg. They were called Grotrian, Helferrich & Schulz until 1909 when they changed the name to Grotrian Steinweg. This puts your piano 1865-1909, and it may be that the published number suggesting 1879 is correct.