Showing posts with label pianos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pianos. Show all posts

Monday 18 October 2021

Young Chang


Young Chang was founded in 1956 by three brothers Jai-Young Kim, Jai-Chang Kim and Jai-Sup Kim. Initially they distributed Yamaha pianos into Korea and other parts of Asia. South Korea was becoming widely known for producing high quality musical instruments and in 1964 the first Young Chang factory was built in Seoul.

When in 1985 the Aeolian Piano Company came to an end, Young Chang purchased the rights to use the brand name ‘Weber’ and in the following year established the Weber Piano Company. The practice of using old, respected European-sounding names to increase sales of pianos has been part of the long history of the piano trade. For whatever reason, the Weber subsidiary was sold to Samsung America in 1987.


Needing extra capacity for producing iron frames, Young Chang opened a foundry at Tianjin, China in 1988. The project there was further expanded a few years later when they opened a complete piano manufacturing complex. The Chinese facility allowed Young Chang to start serving the lower-end of the piano market.


Joseph Pramberger, a former head of manufacturing from Steinways joined the company in 1995. He brought many innovations to piano design at Young Chang, including an improved action and an asymmetrically tapered soundboard. The Pramberger Platinum series - incorporating some German action parts from Renner - was Young Chang's top-of-the-models range for three years. 


In 2018 Hyundai acquired Young Chang in 2006, renaming the company HDC Young Chang.


Sunday 10 October 2021

Welmar Serial Nos.

 

Year

Serial No.

Year

Serial No.

1925

13000

1970

70000

1930

16500

1972

72000

1935

20000

1974

74000

1938

21600

1976

76000

1940

23500

1978

78000

1946

46000

1980

80000

1948

48000

1982

82000

1950

50000

1984

84000

1952

52000

1986

86000

1954

54000

1988

107140

1956

56000

1990

107935

1958

58000

1992

108420

1960

60000

1994

109205

1962

62000

1996

109990

1964

64000

1998

110590

1966

66000

2000

110940

1968

68000

2002

111240

These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.

The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.

Back to the Piano Atlas

Saturday 29 November 2014

Bechstein Pianos - Pictures

Bechstein is among the very best-known names of piano-makers. Every piano in their range has its own characteristics but, the qualities of good design and solid construction are clearly seen in these pictures of the various models. Only extreme age or excessive wear will defeat these wonderful pianos!

Model V
(older, straight-strung piano)
The Bechstein Model 7
The Bechstein model 8
The Bechstein Model 9
Bechstein Model A
Model S

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Kawai

Kawai
The Japanese culture greatly values respect and honour. Kiochi Kawai established the Kawai musical Instrument Research Laboratory in 1927 but for him, manufacturing pianos is not just about business, it is more the pursuit of dreams and destiny. 

By 1935, production reached 85 pianos per month. Due to the War production was suspended from 1937 - 1948. Within ten years of production resuming, Shigeru Kawai, having taken over the business from his father, set about to 
to be among the first to embrace modern scientific aids and technology to transform the piano making process.

The traditions of philosophy and the joining of mind and spirit, all throw their weight behind the push towards perfection. Kawai pianos have developed their own actions using ABS carbon for some of the action parts. Their painstaking research has been rewarded with a unique result which stands up well to the stiff scrutiny of purists who prefer the more standard and accepted traditionally-made actions.

In 1999, the elite range of Shigeru Kawai Pianos was launched. These extraordinary pianos are built by the best of Master Piano Artisans. These technicians seek to elevate their work - making it more of a mystical quest. The role of Master Piano Artisan is to present the artist with an instrument of inspirational and limitless possibilities.

Having had the privilege of tuning one of these very special pianos, I can only praise the workmanship and acknowledge the pursuit of excellence in piano manufacture. I look forward to tuning many more of them!

Good to know that even the standard range of Kawai Pianos is impressive. They are always well put together and convey the essence of the Kawai philosophy.

Sunday 9 November 2014

Duck, Son and Pinker Pianos

Duck Son & Pinker was founded in 1948. William Duck had his first Piano shop at 2 Pulteney Bridge but grew to occupy the whole of one side of the bridge. In 1878, William's son George became a partner in the firm and in 1884 Thomas Pinker joined the firm - thus the name: Duck, Son & Pinker. 
Thomas Pinker was originally employed as a piano tuner but being a man with a talent for business, he was a valued member of the firm. Out of hours he played the organ at a local church and was a member of the Bath Rowing Club.

There are many pianos that bear the Duck, Son & Pinker name and it is difficult to pinpoint where they were made. Some models were made by Skerrett, a better quality model was made by Brasted. Others, from the look of the insides, might have been made by Bentley. Their earlier, straight-strung pianos, may well have been made at the premises in Bath or in Bristol.

The decline of the piano side of the business reflected the widespread downturn in acoustic piano sales across the industry over many years. Today, it is hard to imagine any piano business tuning 5,000 pianos every month but at their height, D.S.&P. really did achieve an astonishing 65,000 piano tunings in a year! They had an army of tuners working from Bath down to Cornwall and into Wales. They had branches in Swindon, Swansea, Bristol, Gloucester and for a while, Weston Super Mare.

I remember tales from the old tuners when I was an apprentice: they were given a bicycle, put on a train to South Wales, and told to go up and down the valleys going door to door for piano tuning work! Those really were the golden days!

Duck son and Pinker was the classic local, music 'institution'. Entering the shop was like stepping into a bygone era. Vacating its traditional Pulteney Bridge premises during the 1980s, the business continued to survive up until 1 April 2011.

Zimmermann Piano Serial Nos.



Year
Serial No.
Year
Serial No.
1950
180001
1980
322671
1960
195001
1984
347000
1961
198001
1985
357000
1962
201001
1986
366000
1963
205001
1987
376000
1964
210001
1988
395400
1965
215001
1989
407550
1966
221001
1990
415600
1967
227001
1991
419400
1968
233001
1992
420413
1969
239001
1993
422103
1970
246001
1994
423972
1971
253001
1995
425660
1972
261001
1996
427101
1973
268001
1997
428386
1974
275801
1998
429454
1975
280501
1999
430600
1976
292501
2000
431753
1977
310001
2001
432819
1978
340001
2002
434053

These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.

The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.

Back to the Piano Atlas