Pictured below are various styles, models, and descriptions of vintage instruments that can help you determine the type and approximate age of your instrument within several years.

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The American Victorian Upright Piano
These pianos were produced in the decades just before the turn of the 20th Century. This was the era that the design of the piano was being perfected by manufactures. These instruments measure anywhere from 45" to 58" high, and come in a variety of lavishly carved cabinets made of beautiful and exotic woods. These instruments were built in an era of superb craftsmanship and integrity so they are consistently superior in overall construction and tone. Most of these pianos are considered to be quite rare and valuable.

          1875 Bradbury Victorian Upright             1885 Kranich & Bach Victorian Upright

Typical American Victorian Upright Pianos From The Late 19th Century

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The Early 20th Century American Upright Piano
These pianos were produced from about 1910 until 1929 when America's Great Depression hit. Although they are similar in size to the Victorian upright, their cabinets became less ornate, eventually becoming streamlined by the late 1920's. These instruments were usually finished in high polish mahogany, oak, or walnut, with the finishes deteriorating and literally rotting over time. Because of the long term chemical breakdown in these early finishes, they develop a rough, black "alligatored" look which most people consider to be highly unattractive. A common misconception is that these instruments were manufactured with these ugly black finishes. The fact is that when professionally refinished, these pianos usually boast beautiful wood grains which have been hidden for decades.

       1910 Vose & Sons Upright Piano              1925 Ackerman & Lowe Upright Piano 

Typical American Upright Pianos From The Early 20th Century Era

Because of the industrial revolution in America, these pianos were able to be mass-produced yet the quality of these instruments was some of the best this country has ever seen. By 1929, millions of these pianos had been built, though sadly it seems that only a small percentage of these instruments are still in existence today.

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The Upright Player Piano
These pianos are basically the same as the 20th Century upright piano with the exception that they contain a pneumatically operated self-playing mechanism. The heyday for the player piano in America was the late teens to the mid twenties, with millions of these instruments being produced before The Great Depression.

    1916 Lauter-Humana Player Piano                     1926 Kimball Player Piano

Typical American Upright Players Of The 'Teens and 'Twenties era

The typical upright player piano was operated by pumping two large foot pedals which came out from inside the lower panel of the instrument. Pumping these pedals created a vacuum, which operated a perforated paper roll located behind sliding doors in the front panel of the instrument. The perforations in the paper roll passed over a series of holes through which vacuum was pulled to activate the keys. All player pianos could be played by hand as well as automatically. Often times, piano technicians would remove the internal player mechanisms so that they could easily access the piano for tuning. Unfortunately, many of these mechanisms where never put back into their pianos, especially if they had quit working or were in need of repair. Today, there are thousands of heirloom player pianos that have been gutted, or "converted", as some people prefer to think of it. These instruments are merely upright pianos that have been stripped of their original player mechanisms and had their sliding doors nailed shut. A complete original player piano has potential to be quite valuable if professionally restored. If your player piano has been gutted of it's original player mechanisms, please visit the Restoration Service Page of this website for information about having a new player mechanism installed by our experts.

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The Victorian Square Grand Piano
The magnificent square grand piano was once very popular in both America and Europe during the Victorian era. They were produced throughout the 19th Century, with the last known production of square pianos being about 1890 due to the new popularity of the upright piano. Before the upright piano gained its popularity in the late 19th century, the square grand piano was the instrument of choice in most fashionable homes.

1878 Henry F. Miller Square Grand Piano          1866 Steinway Square Grand Piano

Typical Victorian Square Grand Pianos From The 19th Century Era

Although it is quite large and striking in appearance, it's tone is very different than contemporary instruments. The square piano sounds reminiscent of the early pianoforte of Mozart's era with a tone that is best described as having a soft, harp-like quality. This instrument was well suited for small intimate gatherings, which were commonplace among the Victorians. At that time, society was accustomed to the square piano's delicate tone quality because it had been set as the standard for well over a hundred years. The new and more powerful grand and upright pianos of the 19th century were initially considered harsh and unpleasant to listen to, so the more primitive square piano remained popular with the general public well into the 20th century. Today, society is accustomed to the tone of the conventional piano, so square pianos sound very light and delicate to modern listeners.

Musicians and collectors alike have begun to realize how valuable and historically significant these instruments really are. Most piano tuners, on the other hand, are intimidated by square pianos and frequently advise against investing in their preservation. Because of this sort of attitude among professionals in the piano industry, many people have been given the misconception that "square pianos are white elephants worth only their weight in firewood".

The fact is that a professionally restored square piano is truly a beautiful and fascinating piece of musical antiquity. For the past decade, there has been a growing interest in these instruments. This revival of the square piano has caused the demand for these instruments to increase significantly, as well as their value. Since restored square pianos have the potential to be worth thousands of dollars, many collectors consider them to be good investments. Many Victorian homes are either purchasing square pianos or having their heirloom instrument restored to complete their music room or parlor. At the Vintage Pianos Shop @ a major Theme Park, square piano restoration is our specialty. Please visit the Restoration Service Page of this website for more information.

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The Victorian Grand Piano
These rare and beautiful instruments were built from about 1840 until about 1910. Although they were manufactured for over half a century, relatively few were actually built and they are quite rare today. Victorian grand pianos were usually handmade by craftsmen and artisans who paid careful attention to every detail. Often times, the builder's signature can be found on one of the keys inside the instrument, but you have to look carefully to find it. The cabinets of these pianos were usually quite lavish, often being made of heavily carved rare and exotic wood. Their musical capabilities were enormous and could be quite intimidating and unknown to the average pianist of the era. Most of these instruments were built for use in concert halls, elite hotels, and fine restaurants where their volume and powerful presence was needed. Only the finest private homes could afford to accommodate such a striking and expensive instrument       

   1875 Henry F. Miller Concert Grand      1901 M. Schulz Parlor Grand

Victorian grand pianos are generally classified in two categories: parlor grand and concert grand. The smaller of these categories was the parlor grand, which rarely measured less than 6 feet in length. (Smaller baby grand pianos were not widely manufactured until the 1920's) After a piano reached about 7'4" in length, it was generally considered to be a concert grand because of its enormous size and volume. The largest of these instruments could reach up to 9 feet in length, a size that has stayed consistent for large concert grands for the past 150 years. In fact, the Victorian grand piano is amazingly similar to today's modern instrument in many ways. Most of the patents and designs developed for piano manufacturing were perfected in the 19th century and are still being widely used today! Although improvements continued as the instrument evolved, the grand piano reached certain perfection over a century ago.

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20th Century Grand & Baby Grand Pianos
After the turn of the 20th century, grand pianos began to get smaller and less elaborate. By the 1920's, the baby grand piano was introduced and became popular in homes worldwide. "Baby Grand" is simply a term for a grand piano under 5'8" in length. Baby grand pianos have been built as small as 42" long, though the smallest size that one is likely to encounter is about 4'6" long. Pianos from about 5'8" to about 7 feet in length are classifieds simply as grand pianos, and they come in all variations of sizes therein. Instruments over 7 feet in length are classified as concert grand pianos and in some rare cases may reach lengths that may slightly exceed 9 feet.

       1915 Wing & Son Baby Grand Piano           1926 Kimball Baby Grand Piano

The 20th century grand and baby grand pianos were offered in a variety of beautiful woods and finishes. These finishes consisted of same lacquers as 20th century uprights, which had a tendency to deteriorate and turn black and scaly over time (see 20th Century Uprights Pianos for more information). These pianos are usually of good quality and can make very desirable instruments when properly restored. As with most antiques and collectibles, these heirloom instruments have good investment potential because their values are consistently increasing. Many people find investing in a restored instrument to be an affordable alternative to buying a costly new one.

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The Victorian Parlor Organ
The Victorian parlor organ, or "pump organ" as some know it, was popular during the last quarter of the 19th century. Hundreds of thousands of these instruments were built by a number of manufactures worldwide. In the 19th century, a new parlor organ was only a fraction of the cost of a piano, making it commonplace in the average home. Many households sacrificed to acquire both a piano and a pump organ, proudly displaying these instruments in their parlors as a sign of culture and sophistication. Unfortunately, as the piano began to become the instrument of choice, most of these wonderful organs were simply neglected and eventually discarded, resulting in their rarity today.

Shipman Organ Company, Circa 1888

Contrary to popular belief, these organs were intended for home use and only a small percentage of them were actually used in churches. These instruments were lavishly decorated with ornamental "gingerbread" carvings and some of them soared to towering heights of 8 feet or more! These organs operated off of airflow produced by pumping two large foot pedals located at the base of the instrument. This air was forced over different sets of reeds, which were activated when a key was depressed. The different sets of reeds produced different tones, which mimicked various instruments of the orchestra. The organist could choose the desired tones by pulling round knobs located above the keyboard called "stops" which activated the different sets of reeds. Some of these organs were capable of rather impressive and beautiful tones, which are quite pleasant to today's listener.

The Victorian parlor organ has an undeniable charm that has lasted for over a century. Fortunately, appreciation for these instruments has caused a great deal of awareness among collectors and musicians alike. Because of this appreciation, parlor organs are becoming quite valuable and many of their owners are investing in their restoration and preservation for future generations to enjoy.

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Melodeons
A melodeon is basically a small reed organ in the shape of a miniature square piano. These instruments were the forerunners of the Victorian parlor organ, usually having only one set of reeds. Most melodeons date from the early to mid 19th century, and are extremely rare and valuable. Their tone is light and sweet and their cabinets are usually quite beautiful. Any surviving specimens of these instruments are of museum caliber, and great care should be taken in preserving them.

Carhart & Needham Melodeon, Circa 1860

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Piano Cased Organs
As the Victorian piano quickly gained in popularity, reed organ manufactures scrambled to keep up with the competition. Many organ builders began producing pianos as well as organs, and some began building reed organs in cases identical to the Victorian upright piano. These instruments usually had a full 88 note piano keyboard and only one or two sets of reeds. The most obvious difference in appearance was the oversized iron pedals, which were used for pumping the air needed to operate the instrument. It is rare that one would ever encounter one of these unusual instruments, but if you do, be aware that they are exceedingly rare and have the potential to be quite valuable.

Piano Cased Reed Organ, Made By H. Lehr & Co., Circa 1910

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Player Reed Organs
In the last quarter of the 19th century, reed organ builders were experimenting with a vacuum operated self-playing apparatus. These instruments incorporated large foot pumping pedals and perforated paper rolls, a design that eventually evolved into the traditional player piano of the 20th century. Early manufactures such as Aeolian and Wilcox & White produced a limited number of player reed organs which are exceedingly rare and valuable today.

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Mirror Pianos
During World War 2, American piano manufacturers ceased production to assist in the war effort. Rationing made it impossible to build a piano during those years, so piano tuners and rebuilders saw a golden opportunity to keep up with the public's demands by introducing the "mirror piano". They simply took a large old upright, or in most cases a gutted player piano, cut a step-shelf along the top, and secured a mirror across the exposed back so that the piano had the appearance of being smaller or more modern. These "restyled" pianos became very popular during the war, and unfortunately this trend continued for another 30 years. Hundreds of thousands of heirloom pianos were butchered during these years, and they are still commonly encountered. Because irreparable damage was done to the integrity of the instrument, mirror pianos are seldom worth more than a few hundred dollars at best.

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Post Depression Upright Pianos
Studio Uprights, Consoles, & Spinets: After the Great Depression hit in America, piano manufactures struggled for ways to keep afloat among a bankrupt economy. In 1931, the spinet piano was introduced and took America by storm. Measuring only 36" high, these instruments were considered to be more modern and fashionable than the larger uprights of the teens and twenties. The early spinet pianos were good instruments, but their quality steadily declined after World War 2. These instruments remain popular, but most modern manufactures have all but abandon the spinet piano in favor of the console and studio upright.

Along with the introduction of the spinet piano of the thirties came a smaller version of the upright, commonly called the studio upright. These pianos measured anywhere from 46" to 52" tall, and still remain to be the largest upright piano available in today's market.

The last addition to the upright piano family was the console piano. Console pianos measure from 40" to 46" high. The advantage of the console piano was an improved touch and tone resulting from the extra 4 to 6 inches in height while keeping with the small, neat appearance of the spinet piano.

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English Pianos
Pianos built in England during the 19th and early 20th centuries were some of the most unique and charming instruments ever built. Even though American manufacturers were taking great strides in design and development, the English seemed to stay several decades behind in progress and evolution. Although these pianos were quite beautiful with their exotic burled wood inlay and silver candelabras, they were mechanically primitive compared to other instruments being manufactured throughout the world. English pianos are valued more as antiques rather than for their musical capabilities, as they are examples of some of the finest cabinet making in the piano industry. A restored English piano has a light, mellow tone not unlike that of the American square grand, reflecting Europe's love affair with the sound of the early pianoforte. Parts for these instruments are scarce, and rebuilding is usually expensive yet justified because of their unusually elaborate cases.

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