Squire Longson Grand Piano

[mileman]

I have just completed the restoration of a Squire Longson baby grand. Why, you may well ask, considering the time money and effort. (I didnt replace the bass strings but trebble restrung and re-finshed inside and out, including sundboard. Re-pinned.

It is a beautiful looking instrument and it now sounds reasonable, except for the bass which is a little dead.

It has old style legs - three pairs of 50mm square posts. On the frame is a transfer that says it won a pile of international awards.

Does anyone know how old it is likely to be. The seriel number is 13429

[Bill Kibby]

Apart from the fact that it was made after the last medal mentioned, I can't help you very much. There was a connection with Cremona and Brinsmead, but these are not Brinsmead numbers. Some later ones were made by Kemble, and follow their numbers, but many are simply not dateable by numbers. Having restored it, I imagine you will have seen all the likely locations for internal datemarks. It seems odd to replace the steels but not the bass strings, surely they are the ones that suffer most from age? The following dates are all I have, suggesting that yours is pre-1931:

1931 Squire & Longson upright piano #14700 was sold in March 1931 for 72gns by W.H. Barnes, of Stratford, East London.

Circa 1933? Squire & Longson piano has #15395 on the end of the case, #16,376 on the belly.

1934 Barrie Heaton tells me that Squire & Longson #15757 was bought new in Ireland.

[mileman]

I agree that replacing the bass strings would make a huge difference but one has to draw the line cost wise. Perhaps a new owner will make that investment. Ideally I would have liked to have done all the strings and replaced the action completely. Removing rust and replacing screws was very time consuming task. I think it is so sad that the resale value of these old pianos does not justify the expense.

The case on this Squire Longson is a beautiful mahogany that did not seem to have been worked on previously. The veneer was perfectly intact. The refurb brought out the special beauty of old well-seasoned wood.

Anyway I am happy to have extended its life into the next generation of refurbishes.