John Brinsmead Upright Grand #39650

[Katrina]

Hello,

I've acquired a piano when I moved into my property nearly a year ago.

It's a John Brinsmead and has the numbers 39650. Can you tell me the date of this Piano please?

Many thanks

[Bill Kibby]

There are real problems with the published dates of Victorian Brinsmead pianos, so without seeing photos of the whole piano, the best estimate I can offer you is about 1893. Have a look at
http://pianohistory.info/numbers.html

[Katrina]

Many thanks for answering so quickly.

The piano is out of tune, would it be worth having it tuned?

Ive heard that these type of Piano's will not hold the correct frequency, is that right?

thanks in advance :)

[Bill Kibby]

There is no short answer to that question, but you may be confusing 2 different things. Any piano you are likely to come across (outside a museum) was originally built to be capable of tuning to modern pitch, but if it has been neglected, it may be too risky to bring it up in one tuning.

My approach to this is to raise the piano's pitch a little each time, in the hope that it may eventually come up to pitch. Raising it suddenly by a large amount may cause strings to break, or other damage which adds to the cost. An alternative is to tune it so-many semitones flat, so that it can be played with other instruments if the pianist knows how to transpose in other keys.

A separate issue is whether the piano's wrestpins (tuning pins) are tight enough to hold in tune at all. Nobody can answer this until a tuner has a look at it and tests the pins. More information on this aspect may be found at
http://pianogen.org/central.html

[Colin Nicholson]

Some good key points there from Bill.

A piano tuner should always attempt - no matter what - (to their last breath) to tune any piano, if it can be tuned OK. In some cases, older pianos have to be tuned more frequently than six-monthly.
Some older pianos that have been neglected can be revived, but may cost more than the average tuning fee.

If you book a tuner, they will be able to assess it for you on-the-spot.... or at least after a few notes have been tuned.

If a piano is badly out of tune, and/or well below "Standard Pitch" and in poor condition .... a pitch raise may not be advisable, things like:-

1. Rusty or corroded strings/ coils/ tuning pins / top bridge pins (also checking the bridge pins/ contact areas)
2. Previous signs of replaced strings (especially check the bass strings - more expensive to replace)
3. Tuning pins driven in further to compensate for wear (i.e. the rear coil will be closer to the wrest plank)
4. Hammers misaligned/ dampers ringing on (more prone on over-damped pianos - looks like a bird cage)

There are other things to look out for.
I received last month an advertisement link for a model 8 Bechstein upright - customer sent it to me - pleased as punch! .... mechanism fully restored/ looked great/ played well.... BUT, it was not re-strung. OK..Although the tuning pins are reasonably tight(in places) - regrettably the piano's tuning only lasts about 2 months.... they have bitten the bullet, and may consider a re-string at a later date, but for now - it keeps me in work.

Hope that helps.

[Katrina]

Thank you for both your replies.
I certainly feel better informed and prepared for what is starting to appear inevitable.

I think my original £60 estimate was rather hopeful.

Before now Ive not considered adding it to the house insurance, not knowing the value would you recommend this is covered as a precaution, although I havent a clue of its value..any ideas would be appreciated?

[Bill Kibby]

Nobody anywhere can guess the value or condition of a piano without inspecting it on the spot, and tuning it. Tuning may be less than sixty pounds, but that's if it can be tuned, and if it will just need tuning, and if it only takes one tuning.

On the whole, unrestored Victorian uprights are difficult to sell at all, and rarely reach as much as ninety pounds at auction here in Britain, even Bechsteins may not fetch twenty pounds.