Great Old Pianos

Just yesterday a fellow piano tuner and I were discussing some of the great old pianos that we are called to service. One particular brand mentioned was Baldwin Acrosonic spinets made in the 1940's till about 1965. My friend also mentioned that he had come across some great old Wurlitzer spinets. Up to today, that was not my experience. Typically the old Wurlitzer's have loose tuning pins, and an assortment of other deficiencies. Well, this morning I tuned a GREAT little Wurlitzer spinet. Mauufactured in 1940, it was clean inside, showed no signs of rust, and played really well. The tuning pins were tight, and although it hadn't been tuned for 9 years, it really didn't sound that bad, although it was 15 cents flat (the last tuner recorded that he had tuned it 15 cents flat).

So what makes a great "old" piano great after all these years? Why aren't piano manufactured in the 70's and beyond "great"? I believe the big difference can be summed up in one word CRAFTSMANSHIP. Companies that really cared (there were junky pianos made in thet era as well) developed workers who made piano manufacturing their lively hood. That meant starting at the bottom and working one's way up the ladder of experience. That all seemed to change in the 70's. One explination might be that workers became more transient, not staying in the factories long enough to develop the skills necessary. Another explanation is that in that era, the manufacturers didn't seem to really care. Thankfully, that trend began to reverse in the 90's as many manufacturers (that hadn't already gone out of business) again began to consider the quality of the products that they were manufacturing.

Please note that not all pianos from any era are all great or all terrible. Also, how the instrument has been cared for over the years has many ramifications. If you are thinking of purchasing a used piano, be aware that every piano needs to be individually evaluated, regardless of brand or age.