Smith Sons & Co Piano Manchester and Sheffield

[martin]

I have inherited a piano which was my great grandfathers.

It is an upright by Smith Sons & Co Manchester and Sheffield.
It appears to be in a walnut veneer.

Apart from guessing that it must well over a hundred years old
I can't find anything out about it.
If anyone can help I'll very grateful.
Martin

[Bill Kibby]

As I explained in my answer to your email, the name suggests a date after 1911, but there is not enough information in your enquiry to tell us any more. Any further clues will be hidden inside. Have a look at the Datemarks page at www.PianoGen.org

Can you email me some photos?

[Lenihan]

I am looking for some advice please. I have a Smith Sons & Co piano, currently housed in my brother's house 50 miles away, and am trying to ascertain if it's worth moving for my daughter who's now learning. It was bought second hand 35 years ago at least. One company I contacted said it was only fit for the dump! because they were bad pianos to start with and made for "working classes" en masse. Another company I contacted, phoned my niece to play a few notes over the phone and answer some questions about the piano and their view is that it's badly out of tune but worht moving. It's an "overstrung underdamper" apparently. They are going to send their tuner to look at it in the next couple of weeks. Several companies have advised that an older piano is not advisable for a child starting off but her teachers said it's not worth investing in a new piano whilst she's a beginner. Does anyone know anything about Smith Sons pianos or can offer any general advice please. Thank you.

[Bill Kibby]

Once again, all I know about this piano is its name, and that tels me nothing about its age or condition. You need a tuner on the spot to judge what is or is not worth doing with it. Tuners also vary in their opinions! Some people are too fond of rejecting every piano that isn't up to modern specifications, and if that continues, we will have no history left. The statement that it is badly out of tune leaves the question - is it capable of being tuned?

[Lenihan]

Many thanks for the advice. Will wait to see what the tuner says when he calls. My other thought was to buy a digital piano to start with. We live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building so, whilst I have established that I can get a piano up there, I'm wondering if a digital piano would be a better option to start off with until we move next year to a house. Do you konw anything about digital pianos? I had a look on line and the Casio CDP 100 is reasonably priced and also the Casio PX800 but I don't know anything about them.

[Bill Kibby]

Music is all about personal taste, and I have never found a Casio instrument that I can get any satisfaction from playing. Perhaps they've changed, but I don't bother trying them anymore.