Secondhand Piano Questions

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Hope you do not think I have too much of a cheek but my grand daughter aged 12 has just passed her class ! and is looking for a decent secondhand piano.  A very good friend has offered me a 1940 Bentley in good condition and has no idea how much to charge me.  Could you be very kind and give me some idea how much it is valued and what I should pay him
 
Maurice

Reply/ Hi Maurice

A Bentley piano from the 1940's might be OK.

It really depends on the piano's inner working parts.
The best thing to do is ask a local piano tuner to come
and look it over for you.

You can find one here:
http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners.html

He will also be able to give you an idea of how much
it is worth.

'If' it is in good condition, then a rough price would be
£300 - £400.

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

Hello Graham,
 
I recently saw a movie called the Bucket List, and two blokes made a list of things they would have liked to have done before they 'kick the bucket'.  All of my life I have wanted to play the piano, and after seeing this movie and deciding to make my own list, I bought a piano.
 
It is a fine looking piano, with the name Lyric and a number on the inside  78988  O16
 
I was interested in finding out some history on it when I came across your site with a person with a similar question to mine.
 
I have no idea how to play the piano either, my journey begins.  My goal is to play "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Christmas.
 
whatdoyoureckonaboutthatthen.
 
I am 55 and Australian living in Perth.
 
How hard do you think it will be for me to learn to read music and apply that knowledge to a keyboard.
 
kind regards
 
Sandy Foster

Reply/ Hi Sandy

Lyric pianos were made by Wurlitzer in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I believe anyone can learn to play piano. It all depends on
how much you practice and, of course, what you practice.

You might want to start out with my free 5-part piano course.
Check it out here:
http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/free-online-piano-lessons.html

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

Can you please provide me with some information on my piano all I know is that it is an upright piano under the lid is the name D HAMMOND & CO London I am unable to find any information about this piano.I wolud say it would need work done to it to restore it & has been in in my house for over 60 years.
 
 
Thanks, Martin Sharkey

Reply/ Hi Martin

D Hammond & Co is not a name I recognise.

It is more than likely that a London piano shop bought
this piano from a London factory and put the name of
their shop (or the owners name) on the piano.

It is unlikely to be worth anything at all.

To get a proper valuation you need to call in a local
piano tuner.

You can find one here:
http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners.html

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

WE have just acquired from next door a piano (upright) with the name Sterndale. Do you know anything about this particular make?

Hi Simon

I have not heard of this make. It is possible that the name Sterndale was added to the piano at a later date or it is the name of the piano shop that used to sell these pianos as new years ago.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

Question/ I have recently been given a Gebr Niendorf piano (picture attached)

I have been told it has been looked after externally but hasn’t been tuned for a number of years. As I have no piano knowledge please could you tell me what I need to do to get it tuned to allow my two children and myself to learn to play on this piano? Is it ecenomical to refurbish it?

Best regards, Darren

Answer/ Hi Darren
Gebr. Niendorf pianos where made in Luckenwalde, Germany. Production began around the year 1896.Your piano is not as old as that though.

Looking at the picture you sent me, I can see that your piano has some lovely ornate carvings and stylish legs. It is hard to put an exact date on this piano without checking the inside. I recommend to find a local piano tuner to come around and check it out. He/she will advise of the current condition and how much it will cost to have it tuned or refurbished. You can find a list of piano tuners here:
http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners.html

Question/
Greetings from Canada.
 
I recently was given an upright piano by my parents. I am trying to find a history of it and so far have had no luck.
The piano is oak. Its measurements are 58"L, 50"H, 26"W. The name on it is AXTENS and there is an address
14 Carlingford Street, Liverpool. I think it was built in the early 1900s. Any information you could pass on would be appreciated.
Thank you
David Van Manen

Answer/ Hi David
Axtens is a name I have never heard of before. I have just done a few searches on the internet and NOTHING comings up.
It is highly likely that Axtens was the name of the piano shop in Liverpool and they had that name put on some of their pianos.

Does anyone else own an Axtens piano, or know anything more about them. Please share your knowledge with us.

Question/ Hi there

I just bought a flat and included in the sale was a piano. I am not looking to get rid of it as I love pianos and can play, but it is a brand called Eastleigh and I have never heard of this brand before. I live in Southampton and there is a place called Eastleigh near us I wondered if the piano could of been locally made. A search of the internet has not yelded any results. Can you shed any light on the make of this piano.

Many thanks, Miss Tiffanie Wells

Answer/ Hi Miss Wells

I have never heard of an Eastleigh piano. It is more than likely that this is an old piano and was made in London (as most pianos around 80-120 years old where).

What used to happen was a piano shop would buy a piano from a local factory and have the name of their shop (which could have been Eastleigh pianos?) printed on the piano.Obviously Eastleigh Pianos do not exist anymore. This is most likely where this name comes from.

Regards, Graham Howard, UK Pianos

Further Comments/

I think you are right, on closer inspection I found there is another name
and it would appear the whole name of the Piano is

W.C Hedges "Eastleigh"

Thanks for putting my question up :)

Tiffanie