List of piano manufacturers

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This is a partial list of piano manufacturers. Most piano professionals have access to detailed information about these brands using a Piano Atlas to reference serial numbers, which are used to determine a piano's age using the year a piano was built. This information is often used in piano appraisals.


Company Place Years active Acquired by Notes

A. B. Chase Ohio 1875 Aeolian-American Corp until Aeolian went out of business. Since 2001 the A.B Chase name has been used by Wrightwood Enterprises Inc. on pianos made by the Dongbei Piano Co. in China.
A. M. McPhail[1] Boston, MA 1837–1950 c. 1950
A. Mittag Berlin 1800
Aeolian Company New York City 1868–1985 Merged with Ampico in 1932. Ampico rebranded as Aeolian in 1941.
Charles Albrecht Philadelphia, PA and Long Island, NY 1789–present Acquired by Schultz & Sons Manufacturing Corp., New York Manufactured in Long Island from 1993–present. One of the earliest pianos made in America. The first known piano by Albrecht is located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.[2]
Allen Brook London
American Piano Company East Rochester, NY, US 1908–1941 Aeolian Company aka. Ampico
Artmann Shanghai, China 1998–present
Astin Weight Salt Lake City 1959–1999
Alexander Herrmann KG Sangerhausen, Germany 1803–1993

Babcock Boston 1810
Baldwin Cincinnati, OH, US 1890–2001 Gibson Guitar Corporation
Christian Baumann Zweibrücken, Germany 1740–1816
Baumgardt Piano Stockholm, Sweden 1859
Baus Piano Company New York City 1895–1929 Jacob Doll Piano Company Factories located at Southern Blvd. and Trinity Ave. They built a full line of upright pianos, player pianos, and grand pianos. It was acquired circa 1910; went out of business in the Great Depression
Beale Piano Sydney 1893–1975
Becker Brothers New York 1892–1940 They Also built pianos under the Bennington name, and player pianos under the Mellotone and Playernola name as well.
Bechstein Pianoforte Fabrik AG Berlin and Seifhennersdorf, Germany 1853–present Was owned by Baldwin in 1963. Also manufactured Zimmermann brand after 1992
Behr Brothers Piano Company Kohler & Campbell
Belarus[3] Belarus 1935–present Also manufactures brands Sängler & Sohne, Schubert and Wieler
Bell Canada
Bentley Piano Company
Brinkerhoff
Beulhoff
Blüthner 1853
Bohemia Piano
Boisselot & Fils France 1831–1908 The brand became Boisselot Fils & Co. in 1847, after the passing of his father Jean-Louis Boisselot.
Borgato Venice, Italy 1991–present
Bösendorfer Vienna, Austria 1828 Yamaha Acquired in 2007
Brødrene Hals Oslo 1847–1925
Brinsmead London 1835
Broadwood and Sons London 1774–present

C. Burlman & Co.
Cable and Sons New York 1852
Cable, Hobart M. La Porte, IN, US 1900–1960s brand was purchased by American Sejung in the 1990s
Cable Company Chicago 1880
Cavendish Pianos Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire 2012–present
Challen London 1804
Chappell Pianos London 1811
Charles R. Walter Elkhart, IN, US 1975
Charles Stieff Baltimore 1852–1951 c. 1852–1951 often referred to as "The poor man's Steinway"
Chas. S. Norris Boston 1930 c. 1930
Chickering and Sons Boston 1823–1983 American Piano Company Acquired in 1908
Collard & Collard London
Cunningham Piano Company Philadelphia 1891
Currier Piano Co. Boston and Marion, NC, US 1823, 1969 Acquisition details
Clementi

Danemann London 1893
Decker Brothers New York 1862

Eastman
Edmund British Columbia
Érard Paris 1777
Estey Piano Corp 1869
Estonia Piano Factory Estonia 1893–present
EUTERPE

Fahr Albert Zeitz, Germany 1887–1950
Falcone[4] Haverhill, MA, US 1982–1993 American Sejung Corp.
Fandrich & Sons Stanwood, WA, US 1989 c. 1989–present
Fazioli Sacile, PN, Italy 1978–present
Feurich 1851
J.C. Fischer New York 1840
August Förster Löbau, Germany 1859–present
Francis Connor New York 1871

Fritz Dobbert São Paulo, Brazil 1950

Gabler New York 1851
Gaveau Paris 1847
Generalmusic Italy and Bensenville, IL, US
Glenz (Josef) Breslau
Timothy Gilbert Boston 1827
Goetzmann New York
Grotrian-Steinweg Braunschweig, Germany 1835–present
Gunther [5] Brussels 1845–1960

Haddorf Piano Company Rockford, Illinois 1902–1960 Maker of Steinbach & Dreher
Haines Brothers New York 1832
Hallet, Davis & Co Boston 1843 (Known as Brown and Hallet from 1835 to 1843) It is the oldest United States Piano Name still in production Hallet, Davis, & Co. is now owned by North American Music, Inc. and has been in production since the original Hallet, Davis & Company was formed in Boston in 1843 by George H. Davis, Russell Hallet, and other partners. It was originally Brown and Hallet in 1835. Hallet & Davis was reconstituted by Davis with another Hallet (Benjamin Franklin Hallet) in Boston in the 1850s.[6] The W. W. Kimball Company acquired Hallet & Davis in the early 1900s. In 1905, the Conway Company, a holding company, acquired the Hallet & Davis name from Kimball. In 1927, Conway disposed of its piano business.[7] In the mid-twentieth century, the Hallet & Davis name, as well as many other U.S. piano brands, were consolidated under the Aeolian-American Corp., which declared bankruptcy in 1985. Continuing the Hallet & Davis brand, and appropriate to its Boston association, there was a trademark submission in 1998 for "HALLET, DAVIS & CO. BOSTON" as was applied for by North American Music, Inc., a piano distributor.[8] The application was "Refused/Dismissed or Invalidated" by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO).[9] The very next year, in 1999, North American Music applied again for a Hallet & Davis trademark, but this time simply as "HALLET, DAVIS & CO." (removing "BOSTON"), which was ultimately granted in 2001 by the USPTO.[10] The Pearl River Piano Group of China (which manufactures HD&C pianos as well as Essex Pianos for Steinway & Sons), puts "Boston" under the HD&C and thus providing the continuity of Lineage to its roots in Boston, MA.
Hansmann
Hardman Peck New York 1842
Heichele, Johann Ljubljana, Trieste 1790–1813
Heintzman & Co. Toronto 1866
Henk Hupkes Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2007–present Build in cooperation with Thüringer Pianoforte, Eisenberg, Germany
Hobart M. Cable La Porte, Indiana, US 1900 American Sejung Corp.
Hornung & Møller Copenhagen, Denmark 1827–1972
Hupfield 1880

Ibach 1794
Irmler Leipzig and Poland

Søren Jensen Copenhagen, Denmark 1893–1921
J. Erbe Eisenach Germany 1881
J. Strauss & Son 1925

Julius Bauer & Co Chicago
Kawai Hamamatsu, Japan 1930–present Also owns the Shigeru Kawai brand
Kemble 1911
Kimball Chicago Il, USA 1857 see Kimball International
Kirschner New York
Klavins Piano Manufaktúra Kft. Vác, Hungary 2017–present
Knabe Baltimore 1837 American Piano Company Acquired in 1908
Knight, Ltd. 1935
Kohler & Campbell New York 1896
Krakauer Bros New York 1869
Kranich & Bach 1864
Kurtzmann

Albert W. Ladd & Company Boston 1838
Lauter Piano Co. Newark, NJ, US 1862–1930
Leipziger Pianofortefabrik 1835
Lesage Piano Company[11] Quebec Willis & Co. Acquired in 1907
Lester Piano Company[12] Lester, PA, US 1888–1960 Also manufactured brands Channing, Alden, Bellaire, Schubert and Leonard
Lindeman & Sons New York 1836
Ludwig & Company St. Louis, MO, US 1895

M. Schulz Piano Co. Chicago, Il, US 1869–1930s Company manufactured and sold pianos under the names of M. Schulz, Walworth, Bradford, Irving, and Maynard, and Aria Divina. They were also sold under the names Brinkerhoff(from teens until about 1950s) and Schriver & Sons
Maene Ruiselede, Belgium 1938–present Founded by Parents Albert Maene-Doutreloigne
Mammoth Piano US 2010
Mason & Hamlin Boston 1854–present Part owned by The Cable Company (from 1904–1924). Acquired by American Piano Company (1924), Aeolian (c. 1929), Aeolian-American (1932), (Various owners from 1940s–1980s), Sohmer & Co. (1985), and Burgett, Inc. (1996) This brand has changed hands and factories many times in its history. See main article.
Mason & Risch Ontario
Mathushek New York 1852–1879 New Haven 1866
Mehlin & Sons New York 1853–1960
Melville Clark company DeKalb Purchased by Baldwin in 1919
Mendelssohn Canada
Moore and Moore London
Muir, Wood and Company[13] Edinburgh, Scotland 1798–1818 Wood, Small and Company Wood, Small and Company was formed at John Muir's Death in 1818
Murdoch, McKillop & Co Edinburgh, Scotland

Joseph Newman Baltimore 1829
Newman & Bros. Baltimore 1842
Nordheimer Canada

Obermann & Sohn
Overs Sydney, Australia

Pape Paris 1817
Stephen Paulello Villethierry, France present
Pearl River Piano Group Guangzhou, China 1956–present
Perzina Lenzen, Germany and Yantai, China 1871–present
Petrof Hradec Králové, Czech Republic 1864–present
Petzold Paris 1806
Pfeiffer Stuttgart, Germany 1862
Prate Canada
Pirsson New York 1829
Pleyel Paris 1807

QRS 1900
Quidoz Quebec

Rainer Canada
Reed & Sons Chicago, Il. USA 1842
Rubenstein 2005–present

Manuel Samaniego[citation needed] Madrid 1800s c. 1800s–1892
Samick Incheon, South Korea 1958–present
San Francisco Piano Co.
Sauter[14][15] 1819–present
Adam Schaaf[16] Chicago 1873–1930s
Schiedmayer 1853
Schiller Piano Company[17] Oregon, Illinois 1890–1936 Cable Company
Schimmel Germany 1885–present
Scholze
Schultz & Sons Brooklyn, NY and Long Island, NY 1948–present In Brooklyn 1948–1973. In Long Island 1974–present.

Schultz & Sons has an exclusive arrangement with several manufacturers to make pianos that are then modified and enhanced in the Schultz & Sons factory. Schultz & Sons has applied for patents on its unique innovations in Action, Scale, and Soundboard design. Schultz & Sons also controls the Charles Albrecht name. They produce Grands, Consoles, and Uprights. In addition to the Schultz & Sons serial number, pianos have the original manufacturers serial number.[2] Pianos with the following second serial numbers were originally made by: Kawai starting with 1955160 Sohmer starting with 244540 Nakamichi starting with 057493 Kohler & Campbell starting with 798777 [2]

Schulze & Pollman
Schweighofer 1792–1938
Sears, Roebuck & Company[18] Chicago 1900–1930 c. 1900–1930 Also manufactured/sold brands Beckwith, American Home, Maywood, Beverley, and Caldwell
Seiler 1849 Samick
Sezemsky Chicago, United States 1886–1901
Sherlock-Manning Ontario
Sherman Clay San Francisco
Shomacker Philadelphia 1840s c. 1840s
Shondorff New York
Shondorff New York
Sjuman Instruments Indonesia 2015
F.G. Smith New York 1866
Sohmer & Co. New York 1872
Starr Piano Company Richmond, Indiana 1872–1950 Originally named the Trayser Piano Company, after one of its founders, George Trayser. They also produced a more affordable, yet exceptional quality, piano line, the "Richmond Piano Company", which was sold alongside theirs in showrooms. Also known for founding Gennett Records.
Steck New York 1857 American Sejung Corp.
Steinbach & Dreher Rockford, Illinois 1902–1960 Actually made by Haddorff Piano company.
G. Steinberg Berlin, Germany 1908–present
Steingraeber & Söhne[19] Bayreuth, Germany 1852–present
Steinway & Sons New York and Hamburg, Germany 1853–present
Sterling Piano Company Derby, Connecticut 1866–1967 Founded in 1845 as The Sterling Organ Company by Charles A. Sterling, the company merged with the Winter Piano Company after the Great Depression. They also produced the cheaper, but reputable, Huntington Piano.
Story & Clark Los Angeles 1884
Straube Piano Company Downers Grove, Illinois (1895–1904)
Hammond, Indiana (1904–1940)
Chicago Heights (1940–1942)
Rockford, Illinois (1942–1949) 		1895–1949 C.G. Conn (1942) Manufactured Straube, Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward; receiver's sale in 1934; bankruptcy in 1937 — remaining assets, including name and patents continued in 1937 in the newly formed Indiana corporation, Straube Pianos Inc.
Streicher[15] 1802
Strich & Zeidler[20][21] New York City 1889–1930s Also manufactured Homer brand
Stuart and Sons Newcastle, Australia present
Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation Japan 1953

Thürmer 1834

Uebel & Lechleiter Heilbronn, Germany 1872–1987
United Piano Makers New York 1800s c. 1800s

Verdugo e Hijo Quito, Ecuador 1995–present

Waldberg Berlin 1890 c. 1890
Weber (New York)[11] New York 1852 Young Chang
George Weber & son, John Chicago 1917
Weber (Ontario)[11] Kingston, ON, Canada 1862 Lesage Piano Company
Whaley-Royce Toronto
Whelpdale, Maxwell & Codd 1876
George Wilkinson London 1811
Wilh. Steinberg Germany 1877
Willis & Company Ltd.[22] Montreal 1889–1979 Acquired Lesage Piano Company in 1907. Also manufactured Newcombe
Wolfframm Dresden Dresden, Germany 1872–1930s Started out under brand name Apollo
Wornum London 1811
Wood, Small and Company[23] Edinburgh, Scotland 1818–1829 Successive firms were Wood and Company, J. Muir Wood Company, and Small, Bruce and Company Continued until Andrew Wood's Death in 1829
Wornum London 1811
Wurlitzer Cincinnati, OH, US 1856–1988 Baldwin Also sold under the names Apollo, De Kalb, Julius Bauer, Farney, Kingston, Kurtzman, Merrium. Schaff Bros. and Underwood.

Yamaha Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan 1887–present Acquired Bösendorfer in 2007. See also List of Yamaha products
Young Chang Seoul, South Korea 1956 Hyundai Development Company Acquired in 2006

Zimmermann Seifhennersdorf, Germany 1884–2011 Bechstein Pianoforte Fabrik AG Acquired in 1992

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Antique Piano Shop, McPhail".
  2. ^ a b c Bob Pierce, Larry Ashley Pierce Piano Atlas, 10th Edition, September 26, 1996
  3. ^ The Virtual Pianoshop. "Piano: Belarus". Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Falcone, The Handmade American Piano".
  5. ^ "Antique Piano Shop, Gunther".
  6. ^ Novak., Clinkscale, Martha (1993–1999). Makers of the piano. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198163231. OCLC 27430492.
  7. ^ Dolge, Alfred (1913). Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. 2. Covina, CA: Covina Publishing Company. p. 107. ISBN 1527808947.
  8. ^ "- North American Music". namusic.com. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  9. ^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  10. ^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  11. ^ a b c "Antique Piano Shop, Weber".
  12. ^ "Lester Piano Company". Archived from the original on 2012-06-06.
  13. ^ Palmieri, Robert (2003). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. New York City, NY, USA: Taylor & Francis. p. 243.
  14. ^ "HIstory of Sauter". Archived from the original on 2006-08-21.
  15. ^ a b "Extended History of Sauter". Archived from the original on 2012-05-01.
  16. ^ "Antique Piano Shop, Adam Schaaf".
  17. ^ Novak, Alice (29 November 2012), NRHP Nomination: Oregon Commercial Historic District (PDF), Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, archived from the original (pdf) on 20 November 2015
  18. ^ The Antique Piano Shop. "Sears, Roebuck & Company". Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  19. ^ History of the Manufacturers Steingraeber & Söhne (pdf)
  20. ^ "Antique Piano Shop, Strich & Zeidler".
  21. ^ Dolge, Alfred (1913). Pianos and Their Makers: Development of the piano industry in America Since the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, 1876; Volume II. Covina Publishing Company.
  22. ^ "The Canadian Encyclopedia, Willis & Company Ltd". Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  23. ^ Palmieri, Robert (2003). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. New York City, NY, USA: Taylor & Francis. p. 435.

External links[edit]

See also[edit]

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