Steck Upright Pianola Piano

[ROC]

Hi there,

I am trying to find out about my Steck Upright Pianola Piano which has the number 101358 stamped into two places on the cabinet, and also has the number '18' stamped adjacent to one of the 101358 stamps. I'm not sure if this is a serial number or something else?

I haven't searched inside of it or at the rear for other serial numbers due to dust/cobwebs and cramped storage location, but I will if necessary at a later date.

I am attaching pics of the piano to give a better idea. I am hoping to have it restored at some point and would love to know more about it. The serial number batches I've seen online don't really fit with the number I have.

The piano was retrieved by my late father from a British-owned house lying in ruins in western Ireland in the 1970s hours prior to the house being demolished. My father was an engineer and he adored the piano. It was his plan to restore it but he passed away suddenly and never got the chance. I can't play piano but would love to have it restored if it's affordable to do so, purely for sentimental value.

The pianola aspect worked when I was a kid in the late 80s/early 90s, the paper reels are still inside it looking good as new.

It has been gathering dust for many years, some keys don't work, the cabinet is chipped in places, but it probably hasn't become any worse since being retrieved from an abandoned ruined house. There is no moisture or dampness damage that I can see. It's stored in a dry place.

I would love to know what year it was manufactured. I would assume it came out of the UK as it ended up in Western Ireland, but I can't be sure.

I'd appreciate any information or resources where I can learn more about it.

Thanks! :)

[Bill Kibby]

Apart from all the usual problems in dating pianos purely on the basis of numbers, Steck numbers are well-known to be unreliable and often misleading, as explained on my Numbers page at
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html

The published numbers might suggest 1930 in what looks more like a 1920 piano, but a Steck dated 1926 has a number in the 104,000 range!

If you want to search inside the piano for clues, have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

As for player pianos, I am not the person to ask, but perhaps someone else will be able to help. There are various websites and museums that specialise in player pianos.

[ROC]

I will check out those links and have a look inside the piano in the coming days to see can I spot a serial plate or any other details. There may even be something on the rear of the cabinet, I've never studied the back of the piano.

Thanks for taking the time to reply Bill.