Robinson / Schwander Herrburger Brooks

[PianoRookie]

Hi, I'd like to know more about age and history of our piano. We 8 years ago got a Robinson piano with a Schwander Herrburger Brooks action as a gift of a Diplomate acquaintance to be played by our daughters.
We only know it was supposed to be British, has been bought in Bangkok and got a special tropicalised body.
The inscription on the action says:
> Schwander Herrburger Brooks, Meadow Lane, Long Eaton Nottingham, NGIO 2FG - made specially for Robinson Piano Manufacturer <

Please can anyone help us with that?
Thank you in advance!

PianoRookie, Maryland USA

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

Robinson doesn't have an entry in the Pierce Piano Atlas (400+ page book which charts all of the piano manufacturers and serial numbers). Therefore, Robinson is not likely to be a piano manufacturer but what is known as a Stencil piano. That means the piano will be a generic unbranded piano and Robinson would have been a retailer or distributor who chose to have the name Robinson stuck on the front.

This makes the piano impossible to date as far as I'm aware and so you have to judge by the cabinet and action design to determine the age instead.

You can read about the Herburger Brooks action here
http://www.piano-tuners.org/herrburgerbrooks/index.html

Hope that helps a little

[piano heads]

Check name most likely Barratt and Robinson who took over Challen pianos in 1967 and they used to tropicalise pianos for the far eastern piano markets.

[NewAge]

.......You can read about the Herburger Brooks action here
http://www.piano-tuners.org/herrburgerbrooks/index.html
Hope that helps a little

That was an interesting link. I didn't know much about their actions. What's the general opinion when compared with Renner? Good as, better, inferior?

[piano heads]

Very similar New Age.

[Bill Kibby]

It would be very unwise to assume that the Pierce Piano Atlas lists all manufacturers. The only Robinson that comes to mind is Barratt & Robinson, London. The modern postcode probably means it was made after 1970.