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vonni · Jan 8, 2009, 02:54 AM

I hope someone can help.
I have an upright console piano which was made by croft and sons and has the name Schwander.I weant to know how old it is.
I found the serial number 108166.
THe wood I think is rosewood which is in good condition.
I want to sell this piano but have no idea of the cost
It plays very well.a few keys don't work but they are not needed.

I hope some can help thank you.
Vonni

Clough · Jan 8, 2009, 03:12 AM

Hi, vonni!

I can help you! I've been a piano tuner/technician since 1974 and am also a professional pianist.

An upright and a console piano aren't the same thing. There's no such thing as an upright console. If a title such as that might be listed with or for the instrument, then it's only used for advertising purposes. It's very much like calling some vertical pianos upright grands. A grand piano is that in which the length of it runs horizontally to the ground and a vertical piano is that in which the length of it runs at a 90 degree angle, or vertically to the ground.

Would you please give me a measurement as to how high it is, please?

If it's not a really old, say 100-year-plus instrument, then how old it is isn't so much a factor in the monetary value of it as whether it can be tuned to modern, standard pitch; hold the tuning for a good length of time and also all the notes play as well as the pedal mechanism operates as it should.

There are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration concerning the possible monetary value of it though.

Thanks!

Clough · Jan 8, 2009, 03:47 AM

I can see that you're no longer logged onto this site, vonni. But, I do hope that you return! I would really like to discuss with you about your piano that you want to sell!

I need to leave for now, but will return in about twenty hours. I hope that you might be here, too!

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 8, 2009, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Clough

I can see that you're no longer logged onto this site, vonni. But, I do hope that you return! I would really like to discuss with you about your piano that you want to sell!

I need to leave for now, but will return in about twenty hours. I hope that you might be here, too!

Thanks!

HI Clough and thank you so much.

I am a novice with pianos I bought this one as Iwanted to learn the piano.
I did this for a while but it took too much time.
We need money so I decided to sell the piano.
The piano is 41inches high and I checked on the internet and they said it was a console upright piano.
When I checked on Google for pianos made by croft and sons.No Joy.
Can I send a picture so you can see what a lovley piano it is.
I think the wood is rosewood and in wondeful condition.
I don't know anything about tuning pianos.
All I know it plays wonderful.

I hope you can help
Look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you so much
Vonni.

Clough · Jan 9, 2009, 12:56 AM

Hi again, vonni!

If you could post an image here, that would be great! Also, if you could let me know your approximate location, we could try to coordinate things so that we're both on here at the same time.

You can see where I'm located under my name.

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 9, 2009, 01:18 AM

HI CLough,

THank you for your time.
I Stay in WHakatane which is in New Zealand.
How do I send a picture to you.

I hope you can find out how old this piano is.THe lady who sold it to me told me it was in her family for a long time.

Thank U

Regards
vonni

vonni · Jan 9, 2009, 01:22 AM

Clough · Jan 9, 2009, 01:51 AM

You did just successfully post a very nice image of your beautiful instrument here! So, you have sent it to me!

I'm counting 85 notes on it. Does it have 85 notes, please? 85 notes would normally indicate an instrument in at least a 110+ year old range as far as age. But, I'm not quite sure here... Have to do come checking about that... Am thinking that this isn't an American made piano.

If you open up the upper of the piano, please tell me all of the words and numbers that are written inside. You might also find things written by hand on the plate by a tuner. It would be good to know what has been written. There could be things written on the tops of the backs of the keys that we can't see without removing some of the wood pieces.

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 9, 2009, 02:36 AM

Hi CLough,

Thank you once again for your answer.You are right there are 85 keys.
Inside there is a number 108166 it is not clear it might be some figures.
It says on the front croft and sons est 1850 .
By the notes it says Schwander.

Is the wood rosewood?The wood is in excellent condition.
DO you think the stool is from the piano?
The lady who sold it did not want to get rid of it but she was moving.
It was in her family for a long time.

I hope you can find out more about it.I think it might be from England.

Regards
vonni

Clough · Jan 9, 2009, 02:54 AM

It's incredibly early in the morning for me here, and I haven't been to bed yet, but since I'm on right now, I will dialogue with you some, if you would like.

Est in 1850 is just the date for when the company was established.

Schwander is a maker of a type of piano action and that could just be the name of the maker of the action. It might mean something else, though. Don't know.

The wood does look to be rosewood. If it is, then it is probably a very old piano since pianos made of rosewood are very seldom, if ever made nowadays.

It's hard to tell if the bench is actually for the piano. If you could take a front, straight-on picture of both the piano and the stool together, and post it here, then it would be easier to tell. The styles of the legs would be the key, and of course the color of the wood. Although, the actual wood that benches are made of are not necessarily the same as that on the rest of the piano, even though a bench might have been made to be sold with the piano.

A stool is something that is round. A bench is something that's perpendicular or square in shape.

The style does look like those that I know of from England. The small and short, drop-down music desk is kind of a give-a-way to that possibly being a fact.

Thanks!

Clough · Jan 9, 2009, 04:26 AM

The weekend is coming up, hopefully, we'll have more time that we can be here at the same time in order to discuss your piano.

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 10, 2009, 02:25 PM

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...olSDC10137.jpg

vonni · Jan 10, 2009, 02:26 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...togoldmine.gif

vonni · Jan 10, 2009, 02:27 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...olSDC10139.jpg

vonni · Jan 10, 2009, 02:29 PM

HI Clough,

Hope you are having a good weekend.
Here are some pics of the piano.
I hope this helps.
Thank you
vonni

Clough · Jan 12, 2009, 05:00 AM

Hi again, vonni!

The third image of the bench that you posted of the bench is the best. From what I've seen in comparing it to the rest of the piano, is that the leg style doesn't appear to be the same. So, I don't think the bench is the original one for the piano. But, that's not unusual.

What I would really appreciate seeing is straight on images of the whole front of the piano with and without the bench in the images, if you would be so kind to do that.

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 12, 2009, 12:23 PM

vonni · Jan 12, 2009, 12:25 PM

HI CLough,

I hope this picture can help.I did send it but something went wrong last time.

THank you for your help

Regards
vonni

Clough · Jan 14, 2009, 06:23 AM

Hi, vonni!

I haven't forgotten about you! Hopefully, we'll be on here at the same time sometime, soon!

I've just been busy...

Having only two pedals also might be indicative of an instrument that is very old.

Thanks!

vonni · Jan 14, 2009, 06:38 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...noSDC10144.jpg