Any piano experts out there?!
Question: when my mom bought the house an old upright piano came with the house i took it apart and found the paten date and it said july 5 1881 and i found 2 different brand names inside of the piano one of them is Chase Bros. Grand Rapids Vigh
and in the other place it says Wessell,Nickell&Gross and what i found a number that i think is a serial number that number is 5911 i tried to reserch on the internet but the internet and all the piano websited pretend it dosnot exist i want to find out the brand name and how much its worth and please dont tell me to go to the the blue book of pianos because that is one of the websites that pretends thiss piano dosenot exist my piano is tall brown it has 2 tops the lower top is the lid where the wire and the keys are the other top is just part of the structure you can put things on top of it the piano key cover has a flip thing for your music i look up old antique uprights on the internet and find every one except the one that looks like mine
Answers: when my mom bought the house an old upright piano came with the house i took it apart and found the paten date and it said july 5 1881 and i found 2 different brand names inside of the piano one of them is Chase Bros. Grand Rapids Vigh
and in the other place it says Wessell,Nickell&Gross and what i found a number that i think is a serial number that number is 5911 i tried to reserch on the internet but the internet and all the piano websited pretend it dosnot exist i want to find out the brand name and how much its worth and please dont tell me to go to the the blue book of pianos because that is one of the websites that pretends thiss piano dosenot exist my piano is tall brown it has 2 tops the lower top is the lid where the wire and the keys are the other top is just part of the structure you can put things on top of it the piano key cover has a flip thing for your music i look up old antique uprights on the internet and find every one except the one that looks like mine
Req more info:
Is Chase Bros. actually Grand Rapids Mich? And where in the piano do you find the name and date? Is it on the steel frame that holds the piano wires? Is it on the keyboard lid? Is it on the back of the piano's sound board? Is it engraved or is it attached by a plate? Do you see a serial no?
Please supply the same info for Wessel, N&G. Thanks.
CHASE BROS. – HACKLEY PIANO COMPANY
The Chase Brothers Piano Company was the first industry brought to Muskegon in 1889 as a result of the bonus fund, which was established as the lumber industry began to decline. Manufacturers were granted land and buildings as incentives to relocate to Muskegon.
The piano company had been founded in Ripley, Ohio, in 1863 by Milo Chase, who owned several patents. Later his three sons, Braton, Clarence, and Leon would assume operation of the business and the company would become known as Chase Brothers. The company moved to Indiana for a time and later (1880) to Grand Rapids.
The new factory building was completed in July of 1890 in the Lakeside district. It was built on a site previously occupied by the Rogers-LeBoeuf sawmill. The building measured 250 feet long, 60 feet wide and stood four stories high, with a tower above the main entrance. The site also included a large lumberyard. The factory employed about 200 people and was able to produce about 50 instruments per week. Although specializing in upright pianos, the company also produced square pianos and grand pianos. The cases were made in the popular shades of mahogany, walnut, oak, and rose wood. About 700 pianos were kept in stock at the showrooms and in the warehouse part of the factory building.
The financial panic of 1893 caused a reorganization of the company and Charles Hackley secured a controlling interest. Later the business would be incorporated as Chase-Hackley Piano Company, with Hackley becoming president. Braton Chase remained as general manager and vice president. Soon after that the company began manufacturing a piano model named the “Hackley.” This model was intended for families of lower income and was apparently produced in great numbers. Other popular models were the “Carlisle” and the “Boltwood.”
As business conditions improved the company prospered. Sales rooms were maintained in Chicago as well as Muskegon. The year 1920 marked a high point for the Chase-Hackley Corporation. That year the factory ran a year behind in filling orders. The company’s biggest seller of the time was the player piano.
In the mid 1920s phonographs became popular, causing a slump in the piano business. The growth of radio also hurt the piano market. Manufacturing output at the Chase-Hackley factory declined about 30 percent from 1925 to 1927. In 1929 the company went out of business.
Part of the original Chase Brothers factory building still exists and is being used today as warehouse space by Sappi Paper.
A table at the muskegonmuseum.org link shows the serial numbers of Chase pianos manufactured in Muskegon for the various years.
Also see the book link that describes Chase Bros. while in Grand Rapids. I don't know if there are records of the piano models and serial numbers while the company was still in Grand Rapids, but you certainly know about your piano's origins. Now you might want to know if it is all original parts.