Boyd Serial Numbers

[Bill Kibby]

In music, the "Three Bs" are Bach, Beethoven & Brahms. In the piano trade generally, the "Three Bs" are Bechstein, Blüthner & Bosendorfer, except in London, where they are Barnes, Berry & Boyd, three large retailers who had many branches around London last century. I used to work for Berrys, and have tuned so many Barnes, Berry and Boyd pianos over the years that it would seem pointless to put all the details on file, but specific enquiries are welcomed. Boyd pianos were not all made by Boyd, and dating them purely by serial numbers is not reliable, no lists are published, except my own at
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html

There may be a date on the iron frame, below keyboard level, see
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

[tenorclef]

Unable to upload a photo but my Boyd upright has the following serial number 10415......any clues to its age?

[Bill Kibby]

I don't know what happened to the old page I was answering, but my comments above explain why I can't date your piano by that number. The majority of pianos cannot be reliably dated by their serial numbers, as explained at
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html
You can use CTRL F to find Boyd entries on that page, but the numbers are larger. See if you can find any other numbers inside the top.

In the previous posting, I have updated the link for finding datemarks to
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

If you could email photos to me, to show what the whole piano looks like, I may be able to tell you more. Otherwise, there is useful general information about upright pianos at
http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html

[tenorclef]

Cheers Bill, i'll drop you a few photos then.

[tenorclef]

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn22 ... a7d85t.jpg

[tenorclef]

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn22 ... moiq9q.jpg

[tenorclef]

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn22 ... sszrla.jpg

[tenorclef]

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn22 ... ygltaq.jpg

[Bill Kibby]

You seem to have sent four links to the same set of photos.

What has John Thomas Hawkins got to do with your piano?

This is obviously a modern "Boyd" perhaps made by Kemble around 1968. The datemarks link is your best hope of finding a date inside.

[tenorclef]

Lol not sure how you got great great grandfather Hawkins photo Thanks for the info so as i suspect this is a modernish Boyd of London not a 1920's piano.

[tenorclef]

Incidentally this seems unusual in that it only has six octave range.....hence why I thought it might be a mini upright???

[Bill Kibby]

6-octave pianos were commonplace when I started selling pianos in the sixties, although 85 notes (7 octaves) was the norm for British ones.

Can anyone out there confirm who would have made a "Boyd" around 1968? Pianos sold as "Stiles" or "Steinberg" had similar numbers around that time, and like this one, have a frame marked CTX.

I thought Kemble, but the serial number 10415 doesn't conform to Kemble numbers, for example a 1959 Boyd by Kemble has the number 106,500 - ten times as high.

[tenorclef]

yeah did a quick count 73 keys..... thats a mini piano according to Wiki.

[Bill Kibby]

I wouldn't ask wikipedia about piano history, even when I correct them, they don't keep the corrections.

Technically, although the term is generally used in a vague way, Minipianos are a specific make (Eavestaff) and type, and they don't necessarily have 6 octaves, it's just a 6-octave upright.

[tenorclef]

When we spotted this piano in the charity shop to my eye it look no older than about 50 years....so around late 50's or 60's. I've had another look at the piano and I can not locate any other numbers on the piano so can assume that the number supplied is indeed its serial number. However its difficult to ascertain from those number any info 10415

[Bill Kibby]

You are answering before I have finished compiling my response, so you should read the items above.

[tenorclef]

You are answering before I have finished compiling my response, so you should read the items above.

Great....sorry didn't spot the above info. So basically this is a Boyd piano from around the 1960's. Yeah that makes sense.

[tenorclef]

We had it tuned....sounds quite nice-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sz9Ae5GFiU

[garry]

I have been trying to date my wife's piano and followed your date stamp suggestions but cannot find one. Can you help with an estimated date of this Boyd piano.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KEhzg62wdRuZrH5p8