Piano History

Hello all,
I had a customer call asking me about a "Howard" Grand Model C171, serial number 42733.  I suggested with that model and serial number information it was probably a "Samik" product.  They had called Gibson and been told it was a 1959 product, but whomever it was had looked in Pierce under Howard and didn't read the description that those numbers were for spinets and consoles.

Any one have an idea as to age and manufacturer?

Thanks in advance,

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Ken Gerler, RPT

Gerler Piano & Organ Service
Florissant (St. Louis), MO 63033
kenneth.gerler@prodigy.net
314-355-2339
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Ken,

Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition states, "Since 1960 Kawai built Howard Grands with Kawai serial numbers, later grands were made by Samick."

For pianos made in the USA that Kawai serial number, 42733, would indicate the year 1993, but it also says, "...Serial numbers are preceded by 'A'". References for Samick pianos after 1988 are inconclusive.

That's the best I can offer.

Keith McGavern, RPT
http://soonertuner.kamcam.com/
http://pianostuff.kamcam.com/
Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
tune-repair@allegiance.tv
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Keith,
Thanks,

As I told John Formsma on the old list, I checked Pierce and have Kawai Built Howard's in my customer base and all had numeric model numbers and serial numbers with at least six digits so I suspect this one might have been built by Samick.


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Ken Gerler, RPT

Gerler Piano & Organ Service
Florissant (St. Louis), MO 63033
kenneth.gerler@prodigy.net
314-355-2339
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2011 17:34
From: Keith McGavern
Subject: Howard C171

Ken,

Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition states, "Since 1960 Kawai built Howard Grands with Kawai serial numbers, later grands were made by Samick."

For pianos made in the USA that Kawai serial number, 42733, would indicate the year 1993, but it also says, "...Serial numbers are preceded by 'A'". References for Samick pianos after 1988 are inconclusive.

That's the best I can offer.

Keith McGavern, RPT
http://soonertuner.kamcam.com/
http://pianostuff.kamcam.com/
Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
tune-repair@allegiance.tv
-------------------------------------------

I have three Howard baby grands in my contact list. My research, at the time, revealed that they are:

: C140 A   5' 1" b grand  sn: 46230   yr: 1993 (1950?)
: C155   b grand   sn: 44094   yr: 1961 (1949?)
: And a drop action console which probably doesn't count: sn: 98713   yr: 1966 (1973?)

None this helps define who actually made the piano but following the progression, somewhere around 1959 sounds about right.

According to Pierce, 12th edition, the above years are probably wrong in that Acrosonic was making them around those numbers and dates. Gibson didn't get involved until 2001.



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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2011 10:55
From: Kenneth Gerler
Subject: Howard C171

Hello all,
I had a customer call asking me about a "Howard" Grand Model C171, serial number 42733.  I suggested with that model and serial number information it was probably a "Samik" product.  They had called Gibson and been told it was a 1959 product, but whomever it was had looked in Pierce under Howard and didn't read the description that those numbers were for spinets and consoles.

Any one have an idea as to age and manufacturer?

Thanks in advance,

-------------------------------------------
Ken Gerler, RPT

Gerler Piano & Organ Service
Florissant (St. Louis), MO 63033
kenneth.gerler@prodigy.net
314-355-2339
-------------------------------------------