Interested parties may submit an offer by the "Make an Offer" button directly below, through our Contact Us page, by phone, or email.
Parks & Sons will consider any reasonable offer and provide a quick answer.
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Year Made:
1917
About the Piano:
- Steinway & Sons Builds This Piano
- January - The Zimmermann Telegraph is intercepted, in which Germany attempted to persuade Mexico to go to war with the United States.
- March 15th - the last czar of Russia, Nicholas II, abdicates the throne.
- April 6th - the United States enters World War I.
- May 29th - John F. Kennedy is born in Brookline Massachusetts.
- November - Bolshevik revolutionaries imprison czar Nicholas II and his family (including his daughter Anastasia).
- December - U.S. Congress approves the 18th Amendment ("Prohibition") which went into effect in 1920.
- The Balfour Declaration is released; declaring Great Britain's support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
- John Philip Sousa becomes bandmaster of the United States Navy.
This Steinway has been inspected by Parks & Sons Piano Service. The information below is based on our inspection (one originally carried out at the end of 2015, and another in March of this year - 2017).
Piano Information:Steinway & Sons model "A" (6' 4 1/2" long by approximately 4' 6").
Built in 1917 at the New York factory. (Model "A" was discontinued in 1941)
Ebony finished.
The piano is in very used condition and would be an excellent candidate for rebuilding and refinishing. If the buyer wishes, arrangements can be made to have the piano moved to the rebuilders of their choice (or they may make their own arrangements to have the piano picked up).
But Needs To Postpone Rebuilding Costs
The piano is currently in general working order. This means that all parts of the lower and upper action, along with the trapworks are functioning. The tuning pins have good holding power, and the strings still produce good tone. This instrument could very well, in our opinion, be a good entry point for one who wishes access to a very high quality instrument and would plan to later have the instrument rebuild (to maximize its full playing capabilities).
We suspect (from our inspection) that the instrument may have received a reconditioning in the 1970's or 1980's. A reconditioning is not a rebuilding. The general goal of a reconditioning is to replace warn felts, leathers, and springs; but not to replace parts (unless they are broken). We do not know if all parts are still Steinway originals. We can say that we did not notice any mis-matching parts (i.e. we did not notice any parts that appeared replaced).
The piano has had much wear. The shellac finish is missing in some areas (mostly edges), along with discolored rings left by items that at one time had been set on the lid. The instrument (at minimal) should be thoroughly cleaned.
At our original 2015 examination of the piano we suggested the following service could improve the instrument, in a situation in which rebuilding was not a current option:We feel this information is still pertinent to the piano's condition. The total we had quoted at the time was less than $ 2,000.00.
Again, we do believe in our opinion, that if a buyer can overlook the obvious wear, age, and what damage it does have, they may find the instrument is completely capable of providing personal use for a number of years before committing to a rebuilding.
The bridges are in very good condition.
The sound board has about 5 cracks. None are producing any tonal problems. Steinway themselves have run tests showing that cracks do not generally effect tone or volume.
Generally speaking (as most piano technicians know) cracks themselves in a sound board are not a problem. A buzzing may result if the cracking causes a separation from the ribs. We did not notice any buzzing during our inspection.
We did find, what appeared to be some minor surface cracks in the pin block along with one slightly larger crack. None of these appeared to be causing any problems for the tuning pins. All tuning pins appeared to be well capable of keeping tension.
If we had discovered any loose tuning pins we would recommend this piano as being fit only for rebuilding.
Please see the photos below. We are available to answer inquiries and provide additional photos to interested parties. This instrument is on consignment to Parks & Sons Piano Service. Any offers will be forwarded to the piano's owners for a decision. We will make every effort to provide answers in a speedy manner. Photos of this Piano(Click Photos for Larger Versions) Photos
Steinway & Sons
Front
Fallboard and Keys
Left Side
Lyre
Leg with Trim
View from Back
Music Desk
Lid (showing scratches and rings)
Very Dusty with Smudges
Serial Number
Plate Stamp
Keys and Action Pulled Forward
Hammers
Hammers Swung Forward - View of Whippens and Back Checks
View From Top Down
Damper Mechanisms
Crest on Sound Board :: It might be notice Nickolas II is listed. This piano was made in 1917, the same year of the Bolshevik Revolution. Czar Nickolas and his family (including his daughter Anastasia) were kidnapped by the revolutionaries.
The Pin Block. Notice the smaller surface cracks with the larger one further down. The inspection did not reveal any detectable effects on the pins.
All information is believed to be correct. Parks & Sons Piano Service is not responsible for mistakes in information, descriptions, pricing, and offers.
Interested parties may submit an offer by the "Make an Offer" button, through our Contact Us page, by phone, or email.
If the offer is accepted the buyer will be expected to place a security deposit of 20% of the accepted offer within 14 days. The security deposit will reserve the piano (and in instances in which the instrument is not yet completed, prioritize its completion). The buyer may also have options to customize the instrument (this is dependent on, and varies with, the instrument being offered).
Once the instrument is completed the buyer may inspect the piano in person, by a designated party, or request high resolution photos and audio of the piano.
The buyer will then to either -
Complete the transaction and provide 20% of the remaining amount due. Unless payment a plan has been agreed to, the remainder is due upon delivery. -Or- Cancel the purchase, in which case a full 100% refund of any money payed for the instrument will be returned to the buyer within 14 days. The buyer bears no risk.
Example:
If an instrument is offered for $12,000. The buyer makes an accepted offer for $10,000.
The buyer places a security deposit of $2,000 within 14 days of the acceptance of the offer.
(If the instrument is not yet completed it is prioritized and the buyer is provided any options available for the instrument to customize it.)
Upon completion the buyer may drop in and personally inspect the instrument, have a third party inspect the instrument, or request high resolution photo/audio of the instrument.
If the buyer accepts the instrument, a down payment of $1,600 (20% of the remaining amount) is paid prior to delivery. -OR- If the buyer cancels the purchase at this point, the $2,000 security deposit is returned to the customer.
The piano is then delivered. If a payment plan has been agreed to, the first payment will be due on the agreed date. If no payment plan is in place, the remaining $6,400 is due upon delivery.
