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    AGS1975's Avatar
    AGS1975 Posts: 13, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jun 1, 2008, 10:30 PM
    Piano keys
    I am looking for ivory replacement part for keys to an upright piano. If anyone can help that would be great.
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #2

    Jun 1, 2008, 10:32 PM
    I am a piano tuner/technician. It would help to know where you are located. Thanks!
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #3

    Jun 1, 2008, 10:47 PM
    Okay. I can see that you are still looking around at other questions. I tried to send you a private message to let you know that I responded to your question and was waiting for you. If you would set up your account here so that you can receive private messages, it can really help, especially in instances like this. Or, maybe where someone wants you to join in answering someone's question because of the knowledge that you have.

    Thanks!
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    AGS1975 Posts: 13, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Jun 1, 2008, 11:33 PM
    Clough, I live in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I have no dates on the piano. It has this on the lid ' Cable The Cable Company Chicago'. I've searched many sites on the net and have found little on this piano. My mother-in-law says it's pre-cival war era. I don't think it is. I am interested to know anything about this piano. Want to know whether to keep or to sell. Thanks!
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #5

    Jun 1, 2008, 11:42 PM
    The Cable Piano Company in Chicago was a fine maker of pianos. I have tuned many of them. I really doubt that it was made before the Civil War. Although, I'm not sure about that, because I don't have my dating books handy.

    If you raise the lid and take the music rack off the piano, you should find a series of numbers and maybe a combination of letters and numbers either on the plate itself, or in a little cut-out place on the plate where the numbers and possibly letters will be on wood.

    That will be the serial number. It can be dated by the serial number.

    The old Cable pianos can really play and sound well depending on the condition of them currently, and if they have been maintained properly on a regular basis.

    The condition of this piano would need to be determined through inquiry with further questions.

    How does the piano sound now?
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    AGS1975 Posts: 13, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Jun 1, 2008, 11:51 PM
    The numbers I have found on it are 88679. My husband said his mom never had it tuned. She got it from a family member in 1981 or 1982. I played around with it and only 3 or 4 keys sound off. I tell you, from looking at it, The Cable Company, was proud of their pianos, it's got it's name in 2 places. I don't believe it is pre-cival war era either. There is a stamp on the inside with Christpher Columbus on one side and a almost like logo on the other side with Roman Numerals.
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #7

    Jun 2, 2008, 12:01 AM
    Below, is some history about the Cable Piano Company. It is from the following site. St Charles Public Library - Historic Buildings: Cable Piano Company

    The Cable Piano Company, established by Herman D. Cable of Chicago in 1881, claimed to be "the world's greatest manufacturer of pianos, inner player pianos, and organs." Cable built a factory in 1901 in St. Charles on 3.5 acres west of the Fox River. Access to the Northwestern Railway made the St. Charles site particularly attractive because Cable received raw materials from all over the world.

    Cable Piano Company became known not only for its products, but also for its working conditions. During the factory's heyday in the early 1900s, there were as many as 500 employees, many of whom were women. Employees could enjoy the company sponsored brass band and male chorus, or play on the company baseball team. With its own electric plant and fire protection, the factory was also self-sufficient.

    As a result of the stock market crash and the ensuing depression, Cable Piano workers faced lay-offs. The first big lay-off occurred during Thanksgiving 1929. By 1936, few employees remained. Finally, in 1938, the Cable Piano Company sold its St. Charles factory to the Howell Furniture Company. Howell, which had been established in 1860, moved from its Geneva site to the more expansive factory in St. Charles.
    Not only did the furniture company produce tubular furniture, gliders, and bridge tables, it also contributed to the war effort during World War II. Like many other companies, Howell produced war materials. At Howell, for example, workers manufactured stainless steel mess trays for the Navy, artillery shells, sections of airplane wings, and casings for 200 pound fragmentation bombs. Following the war, Howell reached its height of production.

    In January 1980, the Howell Furniture Company closed its doors. Following nearly 50 years of business in St. Charles, the company had been facing financial problems and a worker's strike.

    Soon after the closure, developers Richard Burkart and Bruce Oehlerking bought the factory. Although the developers had planned to convert the building into condominiums and businesses, unsound financial backing and a poor market prohibited this. They decided to sell the building.

    At this time, the building faced demoliton if no one came forward to purchase and secure the site. City officials and citizens complained that the decaying building was both an eyesore and a hazard to local children.

    STK Corporation bought the property in 1984 and developed plans to transform the building into a shopping mall. Although portions of the building were demolished to allow for a parking lot, most of the historic building was retained. When the Piano Factory Mall opened in 1986, many of the high ceilings and wooden beams remained intact. Manufacturer outlets stood where factory employees had once worked to manufacture pianos and furniture.

    Like the Cable Piano Company and Howell Furniture Company before it, the Piano Factory Mall fell on hard times. The building was razed. Developers Sean Williams and Terry Dunning have built condominiums at this location.
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #8

    Jun 2, 2008, 12:03 AM
    If the instrument hasn't been tuned in a long time, that doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't salvageable as a musical instrument. It just may take quite a bit to get it tuned up and into shape.

    Where has it been stored for most of its life, please?
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #9

    Jun 2, 2008, 12:12 AM
    Your piano is probably dated somewhere between the years of 1906 and 1907. The chart below is from the following site. Piano Serial Numbers 1


    CABLE - PRE-1950

    1885-3000 1909-122000 1920-224000 1931-300000
    1890-11000 1910-140000 1921-232000 1932-301000
    1895-23000 1911-155000 1922-236000 1933-302000
    1900-30000 1912-164000 1923-242000 1934-303000
    1902-40000 1913-172000 1925-258000 1935-304000
    1903-45000 1914-180000 1926-265000 1936-305000
    1904-50000 1915-188000 1927-271000 1937-306000
    1905-65000 1916-196500 1928-277000 1947-308000
    1906-80000 1917-203000 1929-287000 1948-311000
    1907-95000 1918-210000 1930-293000 1949-315000
    1908-110000 1919-217000
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #10

    Jun 2, 2008, 12:50 AM
    I'm going to need to go, AGS1975. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

    At the bottom of this page are also links to questions that have been about old pianos. On three of them, I have answered extensively. You might find some helpful information there.

    If you also type the word "piano" into the search function at the top of this page, you will find lots of links to questions where something about an old piano has been the subject. The topic areas where they usually have been are in Music and Collectibles.

    Concerning your ivory keys, be it the fronts, heads or tails, then most piano technicians who replace keytops generally have a number of sets of old ones that they save for situations like yours.

    If the piano hasn't been tuned in a long time, then it would be best to be calling a technician for an evaluation and maybe a tuning if he or she thinks that the piano is in good enough shape to warrant saving.

    Again, if you have any further questions, please let me know. I look forward to an opportunity to help you! I am generally on here late at night after 10:00 P.M. Central Standard Time.

    Thanks!
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #11

    Jun 5, 2008, 01:42 AM
    Hello, AGS1975!

    I am still hoping that you will return to this thread. If the instrument has been in an area of a home where the temperature and humidity has been fairly constant, then there is a good chance that the instrument is restorable and keepable, if you would want to keep it.
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    AGS1975 Posts: 13, Reputation: 1
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    #12

    Jun 5, 2008, 08:01 AM
    Clough,
    Thanks. I think we are planning to keep it. It has been kept in a living area of the house. Isn't warped or anything. Bench is missing. Looks like it has some veneer on it along with a very dark varnish. Should we leave as is or would it be devalued if we stripped it? Thanks for your help.

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