List of Piano Manufacturers We Have Rebuilt
Why these pianos are worth rebuilding
The makers listed on this page share a set of build qualities that almost no piano made today can match at any sensible price. That is the whole argument for restoring an old instrument rather than replacing it:
- Multi laminate pin blocks
- Thick hardwood veneers
- Sand cast plate
- Solid spruce soundboard
- No plastic or particleboard content
- All parts are readily available
- Logistics available for service and shipping
Only the most expensive pianos built today have the quality of these old world pianos. If your instrument is not on this list, that does not mean we cannot rebuild it. Send us the make, the serial number and a few photographs and we will tell you what we are looking at.
Manufacturers we have rebuilt
BECKER BROS.
originated in 1892 by Jacob Henry Becker. Becker Bros also controlled Bennington, Mellotone, and Playernola.
BEHR BROS.
was established in 1881 by brothers Henry & Edward Behr. The Name Behr Bros. was taken over by Kohler & Campbell in 1910.
BUSH & GERTS
started in 1885. Bush & Gerts was then made by Haddorff since 1924. Bush & Gerts stopped porduction in 1942.
CONWAY
started production in 1906. conway was controlled by Hallet & Davis, out of Boston MA.
DAVENPORT & TREACY
was established in 1873. Davenport & Treacy was taken over by Kohler & Campbell in 1916.
DECKER & SONS
was established in 1856 in New york. Decker & Sonsalso made Bernard & Bernard. Decker & sons was later made by Winter.
EMERSON PIANO CO.
started in Boston, MA in 1849. In 1890, Emerson Piano Co then made pianos out of Norwalk, OH as part of United Piano Corp.
ESTEY PIANO CORP.
was established in 1885 by Jacob Estey, Levi Fuller, Julius Estey, & John Simpson. A large piano factory was built in New York City and the production of Grand & Upright pianos began. In 1901, the Estey Piano Corp sterted producing large church organs at a special new factory. Estey Piano Corp used other names such as: Chase & Baker, N.W. Nelson, & Schumann. in 1982, the Estey Piano Corp went out of business when lightning hit the factory and destroyed it.
EVERETT PIANO CO.
stsrted in Boston MA in 1883 by Frank A Lee. In 1894, Frank Lee became president of Everett Piano Co. The Everett Piano Co. also produced Cable Nelson Pianos. In 1954, Hammond Organ Co. bought Everett and started building the Hammond Piano. Everett was then bought out by Yamaha, and in 1989, Yamaha stopped production of the Everett piano.
FISCHER J & C
originated in New York in 1840 by two brothers, John & Charles Fischer. Fischer produced around 5000 pianos annually around the turn of the 20th century. Fischer J & C was taken over by the American Piano C. and then by the Aeolian American in 1932. The Production of the Fischer Pianos stoped in 1982.
GRINNELL BROS.
was established in 1882 as an organ manufatcurer in Detroit MI. Grinnell Bros. started making pianos in 1902.Grinnell Bros also made pianos such as Lenard, Clayton & Playtona. The Grinnell Bros. stopped production in 1960.
HAINES BROS.
was started by brothers Napoleon & Francis Haines in New York in 1851. The Haines Bros made thier first Upright piano in 1870. Later, Haines Bros Pianos were manufactured by Winter & Company around 1898. in 1924, Sherlock-Manning took over production until 1945, when Aeolian-American acquired the company.
HAINES W P & CO.
started in New York in 1898. Haines WP also made Bradbury and Webster. Winter made Haines WP in later years.
HALLETT & DAVIS
was established in 1843 in Boston MA. Hallett & Davis began as Brown & Hallett in 1833, but when Brown retired in 1843 he was replaced by George Davis. For a time, Hallett & Davis was made by Aeolian.
HEINTZMANN & CO.
was established in 1850 in Toronto, Canada. in 1981, the firm was purchased by Sklar Mfg, and upright piano production resumed on a small scale. Heintzmann & Co. is now out of business.
JANSSEN PIANO CO.
was started in 1901. Other pianos made by Janssen were Horace Waters Pianos. In 1970, Charles Walter Piano Co purchased Janssen.
KINGSBURY
started production in 1885. Cable Piano Co. in Chicago IL made the Kingsbury Pianos.
Frequently Asked Questions
My piano is not on this list. Can you still rebuild it?
Very likely. This list covers the makers we see most often, not the limit of what we work on. Send us the make, the serial number and a few photographs and we will tell you what we are looking at.
What makes these older pianos worth rebuilding?
The build quality: multi-laminate pinblocks, thick hardwood veneers, sand-cast plates and solid spruce soundboards, with no plastic or particleboard content. Only the most expensive pianos built today have the quality of these old world pianos.
Are parts still available for a piano from the 1890s?
For the makers on this list, yes. Hammers, shanks, flanges, wippens, keytops, bushings and strings are all obtainable, and where a part is genuinely obsolete our shop makes or adapts one.
How do I find out whether my piano is worth restoring?
We appraise instruments as part of the quoting process, so you can weigh the cost of the work against the value of the finished piano before committing. Call 716-832-0013 to arrange it.