Range of instruments We usually have a good range of grand pianos, upright pianos, harpsichords, pipe organs, harmoniums / reed organs, player pianos, square pianos and include many historic instruments. 

Choosing a piano Pianos were invented approximately 300 years ago. Very early instruments tend to be rare and expensive and are normally only associated with museums. The harpsichord is the fore runner of the piano but the loudness of a note could not readily be controlled. The piano was developed to enable loud and quiet passages. Early pianos tended to be less durable and the development of the iron frame and its subsequent strengthening led to very durable pianos.

Brief piano history Generally speaking piano development by about 1880 included most modern features and there has been comparatively slow technological development since that time. However this does not mean that all pianos are equal with different manufacturers adopting advances at different rates. Prior to World War I vast numbers of pianos were produced using quality materials with great emphasis on craftsmanship. After WWI many quality pianos were again produced up to WWII. After WWII materials were in scarce supply and reconstruction and repair of older instruments were common. In the 1960's many modern type low height pianos were produced and manufacture continues to this day. We are less enthusiastic about modern pianos because they tend to be smaller (less full sound) and brighter (sometimes a shrill sound) and the full range of traditional materials are not usually used. We therefore really like pre-war pianos. However, all pianos age and there is wear and tear and other deterioration. Particularly the environment and use to which the piano has been put determine its ageing. Several serious problems can affect the older piano including loose tuning pins, general looseness in the action, cracked or broken frames but nothing is beyond repair if the basic piano is good although the repairs are often more expensive than the instrument is worth if carried out in a non-workshop environment. Thus many players are prepared to pay tens of thousands for a good older instrument in order to get the traditional build quality and sound.

Piano types

Straight strung pianos are generally earlier or cheaper pianos having all of their strings parallel to each other. There are large numbers of straight strung pianos in everyday use. However, many of these were at the bottom end of a manufacturers range and have frequently outlived their musical life. There are exceptions to this and some very fine pianos were constructed as straight strung instruments until World War 2. Many Broadwood and Brinsmead pianos were straight strung and of fine quality. The sound produced by a straight strung instrument is slightly different from other pianos and preferred by some.

Over strung pianos generally are better quality, top of range or more recent pianos. The strings are arranged in two banks on the diagonal and overlapping each other. The net result is a smaller case for an equivalent string length. Often the manufacturers of over strung pianos included better features and construction in these instruments. All modern pianos are over strung. The tone of a piano is dependent upon many features including the case. The woods used and the size of the case make a difference thus large cased pianos often have a fine and mellow sound.

Over damper pianos In these pianos the felt dampers which silence the strings after sounding are near the ends of the strings and just above the sounding hammers. Because they are near the ends of the strings they are slightly less effective and need to be well adjusted. Piano tuners often decry over damper pianos because the dampers are in the way when it comes to tuning making the process a little more difficult. Although over dampers are associated with either early instruments or cheaper pianos, many excellent pianos have been constructed with over dampers including a number of those manufactured by Ibach the worlds longest producer of pianos.

Under damper pianos Here the dampers are below the hammers and nearer to the middle of the strings producing effective damping. All modern pianos are under damper but the invention was applied also to many earlier quality pianos. These pianos are generally easier to tune and have more compact mechanics.

Grand pianos Grand pianos are often classified by size e.g. baby grand, boudoir grand, concert grand but there is some ambiguity in this terminology. The safest guide is the length measurement from front of keyboard to the furthest point. Given that pianos have been constructed in a continuum of lengths they may not fall clearly into any one of the above categories. The longer the piano the fuller the sound is a good generalisation. Conversely the very smallest grand pianos will have strings of shorter length than many upright pianos and consequently a less good sound. Grand pianos may also be either straight strung or over strung. The only straight strung grand pianos tend to be historic and rather large to get equivalent sound quality to an over strung piano. In the advance of grand pianos Broadwood stuck with straight strung grands at a time when Bechstein was producing over strung pianos e.g. 1870's leading to differences between the early English School and German Schools of manufacture. Many of these early grands were very well constructed and vast numbers have survived to the present day. Often the most serious failing is of the tuning plank in these early pianos - but it can be repaired at sometimes high cost. The majority of grand pianos from about 1900 are over strung.

Grand piano actions There have been a number of variants including early Viennese actions. Some of these early actions included strings being damped from below and different hinging of the hammers. The majority of grand pianos have over dampers with the hammer hinged at the keyboard end and are thus relatively standardised.