Piano History

  • 1.  Unusual antique piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-08-2016 08:47
      |   view attached

    I have a childhood friend who contacted me yesterday.  Her boss would like to sell this antique piano and I have never seen anything like this.  Has anyone else seen anything like this and can provide me any insight?

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    Patricia Stewart, RPT
    Parker Pianos
    Parker CO
    720-295-8863
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  • 2.  RE: Unusual antique piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-08-2016 10:05

    The piano was made by Gabriel Gaveau, one of the sons of Joseph Gaveau who founded the Gaveau piano manufacturing firm in Paris in 1847. Gabriel founded his own firm, dedicated to art case pianos in 1911. You can find more (in French) here. On the linked page, scroll down to 1911 (looking at years in the grey bar on the left), then alphabetical order within that year. You'll notice nameplates very similar, drawn in ink. Here are some additional photos of G Gaveau's pianos.

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    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm@unm.edu
    http://fredsturm.net
    http://www.artoftuning.com
    "We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda

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  • 3.  RE: Unusual antique piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-08-2016 10:08
    Here's another link.




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  • 4.  RE: Unusual antique piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-08-2016 10:26

    Wow Fred!  That is it!  You are always so knowledgeable!  The owner has no idea if it is a valuable piano.  He is in the Salt Lake area.  Any ideas of someone in that area that would have enough experience to examine it?  The only people I know in that area to contact would be Keith Kopp or Rick Baldassin.  But, if you think it is just a decorative piece and should just be evaluated by an antique dealer as a piece of furniture and not by a piano tech as an instrument, I won't bother those guys.  What is your inclination on that?

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    Patricia Stewart, RPT
    Parker Pianos
    Parker CO
    720-295-8863

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  • 5.  RE: Unusual antique piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-08-2016 11:38
    It's value will be greater as an art case than as an instrument. It might be good to have the condition as piano checked out as well. I don't know of anyone in the US who is knowledgeable about art cases, though I'm sure there are such people. You might contact Palace Pianos, which specializes in them (the link is to a page of a Gabriel Gaveau they sold a few years back). The menu is pretty user friendly to find links for contacting them. They do worldwide business (sell a lot to oil potentates in the Mideast and wealthy Chinese plutocrats, among others). I'm sure they would be interested in this piano.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain




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