Check out this seemingly unremarkable Daneman Studio:



Now look at how the fallboard folds open - beats the usual European/Japanese style:


Lastly, bichords past the break. How unusual is this, I've never seen it before but I've hardly seen 100's of pianos either!

This beauty is a German piano called a Schwechten from 1890:

And a "Produktiv" from the same year (1890):

1875 S&S "Style 2". Supposedly #1 of 11 made in Walnut. $135K including delivery and setup in the continental US, and a reproduction bench:

Speaking of 1890, a Guild art case upright:

A 1925 Gaveau:

Pretty funky music desk on this Bechstein:

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
Ow, that had to hurt!

Hey, is it a sign of piano snobbery when I look at a grand and say, "Two piece fallboard? No great loss."?

But I *like* two piece fallboards!

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
Pretty funky music desk on this Bechstein:

That Bechstein is SERIOUSLY BOSS!

quote:

Originally posted by Zorba:

quote:

Originally posted by Matthew Collett:

quote:

Originally posted by Zorba:
And a "Produktiv" from the same year (1890):

Isn't 1890 rather late to be straight-strung, which this appears to be?

Best wishes,
Matthew

I'm no expert - but the name sounds Russian which may explain it. Ron?

I was thinking German.

quote:

Originally posted by Zorba:

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
Ow, that had to hurt!

Hey, is it a sign of piano snobbery when I look at a grand and say, "Two piece fallboard? No great loss."?

But I *like* two piece fallboards!

On grands?

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:

quote:

Originally posted by Zorba:

quote:

Originally posted by Matthew Collett:

quote:

Originally posted by Zorba:
And a "Produktiv" from the same year (1890):

Isn't 1890 rather late to be straight-strung, which this appears to be?

Best wishes,
Matthew

I'm no expert - but the name sounds Russian which may explain it. Ron?

I was thinking German.

Turns out I was close. If you look closely at the one-pice () fallboard, it actually says, "Produktiv-Genossenschaft". They were a maker in Vienna from the 1870's to 1928.

An English Piano forum on the subject.

Pretty sure it was cast iron, just painted silverish...

It sounded surprisingly like a musical instrument... unlike some other tiny spinets.(cough*Kimballs*cough)

It helped that the hammers were in good shape and weren't rocks. The scaling seemed to work for an instrument this size.

Oh, and the bi-chords - Yeah, I see 'em all the time. A lot of the school uprights - Yamaha P22, Baldwin 243s - I think all the old Wurli's as well.

quote:

Originally posted by rontuner:
It sounded surprisingly like a musical instrument...

Beautiful: