Metzler

[pjdyog]

Can anyone help me? I have just bought a Metzler Upright.(Overstrung and Underdamped.) I cannot find any information on the Piano or the Company. It's Serial no. is 128 572. Can anyone point me in the right direction ? Many thanks, Paul

[Bill Kibby]

Metzler & Co. were a very old London musical instrument firm, dating back to the eighteenth century. They were a Ltd. company by 1903, when upright piano #22,600 was made. The keys are marked Jan 22 / 03 and also 21-3-03. No other dates of their numbers are available, but see

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/datem ... ianos.html

[pjdyog]

Many thanks for that Bill.
I can't see any marks on the keys so I guess I'll need to have a good look at the frame.The Piano sounds great and I'm dying to know more about it.
Cheers,

Paul

[LRon]

hello piano fans,i know this is slightly of subject,i too own a metzler,mine is a 1896 version (1/4 split walnut case with very intricate fretwork) imported by john broadwood and sons and sold at the metzler and company showroom address at 42 great marlborough street,it still has the price tag inside,it cost an incredible 76 guineas..in todays money this works out at £36,000,the piano spent many years in a large unheated house in a 3rd floor room with broken windows very close to the sea,the damp and moisture slowly rusted the steel strings until it was unplayable,when i was given it about 15 years ago i took it apart and cleaned it completely,as a short term fix i had to move one of the hammers from the lower end of the scale to replace one of the middle ones which mysteriously was broken,i then carefully used a soft wire wool and a light oil to remove the rust from the strings and after many weeks managed to get a somewhat muted tune out of it,although i dont really have much time to play it anymore it is still an amazing piece of musical history and gets many admiring comments and the odd tickle.

[Bill Kibby]

That's very interesting, I wonder if I could ask two favours? Is it possible that you could supply a god colour scan, or photocopy, or photo of the paperwork? And are there any numbers inside the piano? This might help us to estimate the date of other Metzler pianos for people. Thanks.

[Bill Kibby]

I am puzzled, because if it is a piano made by Metzler, and bearing their London address, they must have sold it, where do Broadwoods come into it? Have you perhaps got it wrong, and it is a Broadwood piano sold by Metzler? I'd be interested to know the exact wording.

[LRon]

That's very interesting, I wonder if I could ask two favours? Is it possible that you could supply a god colour scan, or photocopy, or photo of the paperwork? And are there any numbers inside the piano? This might help us to estimate the date of other Metzler pianos for people. Thanks.

..hello bill,sure no problem,i cant scan the paperwork as it is firmly glued to the inside case,but i should be able to take some pictures,i tried a minute ago but the light is too poor,it will have to be in the morning,ill pass on any numbers i can find also.

[LRon]

I am puzzled, because if it is a piano made by Metzler, and bearing their London address, they must have sold it, where do Broadwoods come into it? Have you perhaps got it wrong, and it is a Broadwood piano sold by Metzler? I'd be interested to know the exact wording.

..mmm good question,ill also take a variety of pics of the wording and internals for you to study,although im pretty certain its made by metzler as this name is featured in two places and the broadwood logo appears to have been added after on the keyboard cover.

[Bill Kibby]

Photos are less important than the actual wording.

[LRon]

Photos are less important than the actual wording.

hello bill these are all the numbers and wording i have found so far,bit odd but the 3x1in sticker with the date on it has gone missing,i may have put it in an envelope somewhere ,im busy fitting a new kitchen at the moment so when i get time ill post a picture of it,also on the 1st key is a name,i cant get a good picture of it though,the name is ''WALLEN''

[Bill Kibby]

I need the complete exact wording that is on the outside of the piano.

[LRon]

I need the complete exact wording that is on the outside of the piano.

..sorry,there is nothing written on the outside at all,neither front nore back.

[Bill Kibby]

But you have already told me about Broadwood and Metzler, what is the complete, exact wording?

[LRon]

But you have already told me about Broadwood and Metzler, what is the complete, exact wording?

.everything written in it or on it are in the pictures folder.

[LRon]

I am puzzled, because if it is a piano made by Metzler, and bearing their London address, they must have sold it, where do Broadwoods come into it? Have you perhaps got it wrong, and it is a Broadwood piano sold by Metzler? I'd be interested to know the exact wording.

..hello again bill,after doing a bit of research on broadwood im starting to think you may have something with the idea that its a broadwood sold by metzler,as the broadwood logo seems to be a universal feature and the where others are i have now seen a few different names,im glad i visited your site now.

[Colin Nicholson]

A very interesting piano! - definitely Broadwood by the decal arrangements.
Did you get the date? In the book, it suggests around 1883
Hope it still plays OK.

[Bill Kibby]

What is the "pictures folder"?

[Colin Nicholson]

Bill, I think 'Lron' means the zip folder "piano pics" - attached onto one of yesterday's posts

[Bill Kibby]

Thanks Colin, I am sorry I didn't spot the zip folder, I don't think anyone has ever managed to insert one of those into a posting here before. With the photos, It's a very simple situation. This is a normal Broadwood upright piano (which they would have described at the time as a "Cottage Piano") and the number suggests that it was made in 1888. However, the books are not reliable, there are problems with these dates, so it's worth knowing that (as described on pianogen.org) if you remove the top key, it should be marked with the date of manufacture. Metzler is clearly the retailer, so he probably sold it secondhand, unless it was hanging around in the factory, or in stock for 8 years. That's not as unusual as it sounds, our stock records show that pianos often stayed in the factory for several years, then stayed in stock at the retailers' for a few more years.