PianoTech Archive

  • 1.  Fox Piano Co.

    Posted 09-29-2006 10:45 
    From Jay Forte <jayforte@earthlink.net>

Greetings;

I'm in the middle of refinishing "grandma's" piano for a customer.
What I am in need of is some help in identifying who manufactured this 
piano for Fox pianos.
I  believe it was a stencil piano. My thoughts are it could have been 
made by Aeolian, Cable, Gulbransen, Conn, Kohler , etc.
I need to put a decal back on when it is finished, so I would like to 
at least be accurate with the manufacture's decal.
I know I could get a custom decal for this old box, but maker is 
probably close enough.
The only clue I have in I.D. is the sticker on the back. I know I've 
seen this before on others I've serviced, but I just can't remember who 
used it.
Of course, I could always make it a S&S : >.

Thanks to all;
Jay Forte'


  • 2.  Fox Piano Co.

    Posted 09-29-2006 11:38 
    From "Porritt, David" <dporritt@mail.smu.edu>

Jay:

It's hard to tell.  I do know that Gulbransen put those
Merchants/Manufacturer's stickers on most of their uprights but I'm sure
those organizations had more than one member!

dp

David M. Porritt
dporritt@smu.edu

    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                        
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  • 3.  Fox Piano Co.

    Posted 09-30-2006 01:19 
    From "Marshall Connolly" <falcone1132@tmlp.com>

Jay:

It seems that it is quite possible that it was either Aeolian, or another
manufacturer of stencil pianos.  I encountered another "fluke" the other
day.  It was a grand that had a plate bolted down to a "universal" plate
which, like everything else screamed Everett about the piano.  Although it
was a C. C. Harvey, less the decal and added plate denotation, this piano
was an Everett through and through.  Plate, stringing, action, cabinet
design, and EVERYTHING was Everett (circa. 1935-1939) and probably the first
C.C. Harvey grand (among many marginal uprights & players) that I have
encountered in 25 years!

Stencils weren't always as horrible as we expect.  It was my experience that
this was the BEST C.C. Harvey that I had ever encountered.  In a situation
such as yours, I would look for other defining characteristics of the piano
(case, scale, action, etc.) to help you determine the actual manufacturer.
You might even enjoy the research and have a "quaint and unique" story about
the history that will endear the owner even more.  I've never heard of the
name (though C.C. Harvey has a one-line listing with NO info.) FOX Piano--
perhaps it was built for a furniture store or something?  Perhaps it was a
stencil for a piano dealer in the city and state listed- or even a music
store.

Whew, I guess that is what makes our work interesting!

Regards,

Marshall Connolly
Connolly's Center for Piano Wellness
New Bedford, MA
falcone1132@tmlp.com

    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                        
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  • 4.  Fox Piano Co.

    Posted 10-01-2006 23:14 
    From "Richard Moody" <remoody@midstatesd.net>

I saw your pictures, Yes it says Fox  Oakland Calif in raised letters on the
plate, which is what I remembered from a Fox Player I saw in SF. back in the
70's.    The proper decal on the fall board should be Fox.
Yes some parts like a strung back, (which includes back support, pinblock,
soundboard and strings could be ordered from a piano manufacturer and then
the case and keyboard and action put in by the local manufacturer. If that
is case of the Fox piano they might have used Cable Co. for two years,
Kohler for 10 years, and Krell for 15 years after that.    Or they might
have ordered the whole piano from any one of a number of Chicago mass
manufacturers with the Fox name already attached. Unless you can uncover
some records from the Fox company you will never be sure of who made what
parts of a particular piano in question.  
	The paper sticker on the back of the pinblock was an effort to
stabilize prices.  Kind of like the MAP policy today... minimum advertised
price. A bunch of companies used that sticker---it does not indicate who
made the piano.   It only indicates what dealer or wholesaler agreed to
subscribe to that policy. 
		Richard Moody


    
                                                
    
					
                                                    

        
                                                
				
    
                                                
    
                                                    
                                                        
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