Spencer Piano

[Mrshilly]

Hello,

I have acquired a piano. It's walnut and has 'spencer' under the lid, and John Murdoch written elsewhere. I have attached a picture.

Can anyone give me any info in it please? I'm curious as I have never owned a piano before. I need to have it tuned as well.

There is a number inside the top 12 and then underneath it is 11135.

What do these numbers mean?

Any info appreciated, as I am interested in knowing about it.

Thank you

[Bill Kibby]

Murdoch was a retailer who later took over the Spencer factory. The number 12 is a model, and 11135 is the serial number, which suggests that it was made in 1888. More information about Spencer numbers may be found about three-quarters of the way down the page at
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html

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

Some pictures of other Spencer pianos of the 1880s may also be found near the bottom of the page at
http://www.pianohistory.info/victorian.html

[Mrshilly]

Thank you for your help! I must admit I did read a few other posts on Spencer pianos, and got a bit worried where someone had implied they were untune-able, and should be chopped up as firewood!

All the keys work, and I have a tuner booked, so fingers crossed he will be able to work a bit of magic on it.

[Bill Kibby]

This is a history forum, so people who are not interested in piano history shouldn't voice such opinions to you, but yours is a very old piano, and many of its kind (regardless of the name on the front) are now untuneable, so I wish you luck with the tuner.

Not only does he or she have to know the job, they also to be interested enough to preserve a bit of history, instead of just dismissing it because it doesn't conform to modern specifications.

Are you anywhere near East Anglia?
http://www.pianohistory.info/tuning.html

[Gill the Piano]

Bill, have you a date for Archibald Ramsden taking over Murdoch? I saw a Blankenstein today and can't find a date or number on it, but it looks sort of early 20s and said ' Archibald Ramsden, formerly Murdoch', or words to that effect..

[Bill Kibby]

I can't recall knowing that Ramsden succeeded Murdoch, but I will check.

There are some Blankenstein numbers on my numbers page
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html

but they are complicated, so if you ever get a fix on it I would be interested.