Piano Cases (New and Second hand)
The case of the piano has little or no effect on its sound but is purely cosmetic. Black is the most common colour on modern pianos, mainly because it costs less to make and is easy to mass produce. Pre 1900 pianos are most commonly figured rosewood or black and some are also Figured or burr walnut. Mahogany appears around 1900 and becomes the most common wood. Plainer walnut cases also appear. Other colours are less common on the UK.
Types of polish:
Traditional cases were mostly French polished, a technique which involved careful preparation followed by about 30 coats of polish applied in very thin layers. We have a French polishing department, and a 6ft grand takes about 70 hours to polish from start to finish! This therefore very costly and many pianos in the UK are therefore refinished using quicker spray or brush techniques.
Mahogany
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Mahogany Bluthner piano. Mahogany is a common piano wood colour. Pre 1960 pianos contain mainly French polish casing. This was gradually replaced by polyester which is cheaper and less skilful to achieve.
Illustrated is a Blutner model 5, 1922.
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Rosewood
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Rosewood
Rosewood is more common than mahogany in pre-1920 pianos. The colour is usually similar to mahogany, though the wood is more patterned. Originally most rosewood pianos were polished quite dark, though this fades over the years and the piano illustrated shows a faded rosewood colour. This piano is currently (2012) being refinished in a colour similar to the sample illustrated, which is near the natural colour of the wood without stain.
The piano illustrated is a Steinway model A, 1889
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Black Polyester
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Black polyester (otherwise known as black gloss):
Made of high density plastic Black polyester has become the most common case type for modern pianos.
This photo:
A black polyester case on a Yamaha C3B grand piano.
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Walnut
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Walnut
Walnut is yellower brown with a busier grain. It can be anything from the dark sample here to a light yellowish walnut.
It is found on many pre 1900 pianos. This is a Monington & Weston piano.
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Burr Walnut
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Burr walnut
Burr walnut is a beautiful very busy wood, currently very popular (2012). The piano illustrated is a modern Bechstein grand just taken into stock (February 2012). |
Black ebonised
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Black ebonised. On ebonised pianos the wood was treated to give a deep black finish, and then French polished.
The piano illustrated is a Steinway model A c.1900 |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 May 2012 14:31 |
