Genealogy Forum UK

Black Country Bugle article

http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/Want ... story.html

I hope it finds a new home, but I think it may end up in pieces on the tip. If it really was made in the 70s then chances are it is a good quality and still sounds great.

From a social history point of view, the piano is fascinating. In Victorian times through to Edwardian times just about everyone had one in thier home, it was equivalent of TVs today. Just as the quality of TVs vary, so did pianos.

Many pianos were of course mass produced on the cheap with cheap parts and materials and were not expected to last 30+ years let alone be played 100 years later.

Problem is people find an old piano and think "oh its worth a lot", when infact its no good apart from being turned into fire wood. The sound from these old pianos are terrible, even if they are tuned the sound is still terrible and chances are the strings are so shot that they will not hold and no sooner it is tuned it looses it again.

I used to get annoyed at piano smashing contests, but now I realise that most of pianos being smashed up are only fit for the scrap heap. A local charity shop tried to sell one such Victorian monstrosity for £400 but it still would not sell even after dropping price to £20.

If it sounds good and holds its tuning, then there is hope it can live on.

The Junior school my kids and my grandkids attended put their old piano on ebay last year. We would have loved it for Elisabeth, but were outbid. The people that bought it also had children at the same school and paid well over the reserve. I listened to it in their home a few months ago when picking up Elisabeth from a birthday party. The owner is a music teacher and was well impressed with the quality and sound of this lovely piano. Don't know how old it is, but it was being played at the school when my eldest started, and she is 51 this year.

as it says at the bottom of the article

If you are part of a club or group who would like to offer a home to the Allen piano, call the Bugle on 01384 567678 or email gjones@blackcountrybugle.co.uk, and we'll put you in touch with Stan.