Schiedmayer & soehne?

[samj]

Hi, I have a Schiedmayer & soehne vertical piano. According to the serial number 18988 it's made during 1896-1900, and there's some kind of a signature and a date 12/6/98 and text "N503" behind it. The piano is a bit broken, but is it valuable and worth fixing?

[Bill Kibby]

Schiedmayer made some excellent pianos, but the word "valuable" is risky, restorers will argue about the question of restoring a piano this old, so you need to find one near you who is willing to take it on, then get a proper written estimate, THEN keep it away from radiators and sunlight! You appear to have a proper datemark to confirm the serial number as 1898.

[samj]

I just wanted to make sure my piano is a 1896 schiedmayer&soehne, I finally got to take this picture of the signature from the back of my piano:



What name is in the signature? I can't make anything out of it..

I asked from local piano fixer is it worth fixing it, they said no. I also thought that a 19th century piano isn't worth fixing because pianos have been made for so long.
But anyway, it's very nice to own a century old piano. Too bad that the original candle holders are missing

[Bill Kibby]

Tuners vary enormously in their approach to old pianos, especially outside Britain and Europe. It is interesting to see the picture, but all it really guarantees is that some wrote on the back at some time. It could have been 1998, but in view of the date suggested by the serial number, it probably is original. The name is possibly a dealer, or a worker at the factory, perhaps someone who checked it before it left. Incidentally, I believe you are the first person to succeed in inserting a picture into the forum! I can quote for printing hidstorical information about the Schiedmayer firms through my website. Press www below...

[Bill Kibby]

The Schiedmayer family had several separate firms, with different numbers, can you tell us the exact wording of the whole name? It might be 1901 or 1914.

[Dostoievskiana]

Hello!
I also would like to know when my Schiedmayer upright piano was manufatured. It's in a very well state of conservation but I think it's very old. That's what is written in my piano:
"16 HELIEFERANTEN = DIPLOME"
"4 GRAND PRIX - PARIS ST. LOUIS ROUBAIXTURIN"
" 54 EHRENDIPLOME & MEDAILLLEN"
"SHIEDMAYER V. J. & P. Shiedmayer STUTTGAT"

There is also a big letter "G" and a serial number (28855) in it.

I thank you very much.

[Bill Kibby]

The number suggests 1897. Are there any years of the exhibition medals listed? What is the latest? Have a look at the Medals link at pianogen.org

[Liv]

Hello

I own a Schiedmayer & Soehne Stuttgart Upright Antique piano.
It is from 1876 with serial number 14278.

5 years ago it was transported from Germany to Australia when I migrated with my family. Unfortunately there are not many people here who know a lot about Schiedmayer.

The piano needs tuning and restoration, but the frame is still in very good condition and I still play regularly.
I was told it would be better to replace all the original parts and restore it using modern piano parts.

I guess my question is, how valueable is it, and whats the best way of restoring it. (Should I try to have the original parts fixed or should I replace them for new parts? Which would be the best value for money?)

I've always wanted to restore this piano and I understand it won't be cheap, but I think it will be worth it. I want to make sure I do the right thing by this antique.
I'd appreciate any suggestions or answers you might have.

[Bill Kibby]

We can't begin to guess what "parts" you mean, or why they need to be replaced, from here. Ask a tuner on the spot.

[Liv]

Sorry
I don't actually know all the proper names of a piano's inner working parts, I'm happy just to play...

what the tuner was suggesting is to replace ALL parts and just keep the old frame. Sounds to me that that should de-value the instrument....

Do you maybe know of a Schiedmayer of similar age that was sold, and how much for? I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.

I'm taking a photo of my piano soon, maybe that will be able to get me more information.

[Bill Kibby]

Yes, there was one grand that didn't sell at all, because old grands are difficult to sell in the UK. You need to get more specifics from your tuner, there is no such thing as "replace ALL parts and just keep the old frame", it's meaningless. If a tuner said that around here, I'd say find another tuner. If you replace the keys, action, string and wrestpins, the cost is out of proportion to almost any antique piano. An old piano can cost thousands of pounds to restore. The idea that you can judge your piano's value by looking at others is simply wrong. To quote my website Home page, "It's fair to say that although I am fascinated by Victorian pianos, they rarely fetch as much as £90 at local auctions here, unless they have been professionally restored, indeed many fetch less than £20".

[drg2217]

I was told it would be better to replace all the original parts and restore it using modern piano parts.

As Bill says, this is such a vague statement as not to have much meaning. But taken literally, it would essentially destroy your antique Schiedmayer piano. I hope you don't do that!

If you really want to go down the restoration route (which might be very expensive!) you want to find a restorer who is conservation-minded, and would conserve the integrity of the instrument.

You would end up with a lovely historic piano - but be aware that it would be unlikely that you could sell it for as much as you paid for the restoration.