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Hey PW! I'm going to be cross posting this on the ABF for maximum reach. I hope that's ok

I'm going to be road tripping cross country shortly, from Los Angeles to New York and then back, with tons of stops in all sorts of interesting places. I'd like some of those places to be piano related, so I thought I'd post here.

If you have any suggestions as far as must see piano dealers, factories, performances, or you would be interested in allowing me to drop by and play your piano, and playing for me, please let me know! (I'm going to be suffering serious piano withdrawal on this trip, so please help!)

Thanks for any advice you can give!! I can't wait to see the beautiful country, and hopefully lots of beautiful pianos too!

A trip would not be complete without the tours of Charles Walter, Mason & Hamlin, and the Steinway factories. The most fascinating thing is how different they are.

Of course, Cunningham is a must see.

What is your planned route? Will it be the same back and forth, or are you doing a loop?

If you cross Ohio on Interstate 70, you could take a very short detour to look at the O.S. Kelly foundry which has cast all or nearly all piano plates for US makers for decades. The company has belonged to Steinway for the last twenty or thirty years but I believe they still cast plates for the few other American piano makers. I don't think they offer tours anymore, but you could call and ask.

Another good place would be Fandrich & Sons, in Stanwood, Washington, not too far from Seattle. Darrell Fandrich has quite an interesting piano rebuilding/customizing operation.

The Mammoth Piano Company in Friendsville, Tennessee would be interesting as well. They make the world's largest upright piano - 7 feet tall! - and are working on a VERY strange-looking grand piano.

Certainly the Frederick Collection in Ashburnham, Mass. Vintage pianos through the ages, and you can play them.

Oh, wait, you're just going as far as New York. That's a shame.

There's a huge musical instrument museum in Phoenix, AZ. Don't know what they have in pianos though.

Where are these?

At the Music Instrument Museum (MIM) located in Scottsdale AZ you will see several Steinways on display. Once you enter and pay your admission you see a large Steinway grand ( I think its a 9 foot) in the lobby area. Visitors are allowed and encouraged to play this piano. In other areas of the museum you will see a Yamaha UX 52" upright. There is also a piano that was owned by John Lennon on display. Steinway has a display of how their grand pianos are constructed. Others are WWII console pianos that Steinway built for the GI's and various pianos from the 19th century.

I know Steinway is in Astoria, but where are the others? And I know Steinway offers tours, but do the others?

I'll definitely check out Cunningham. That's in Philly, right?

I'm doing the Northern route on the way there (Yellowstone, Minnesota, Chicago, etc). I don't know what I'll do on the way back yet, but it won't be the same, because what fun is that?

That sounds neat, but I won't be going that far north. The Mammoth Piano Company might be an idea for the return trip. Do they allow visitors?

That sounds AMAZING! I'll definitely check it out. I wrote NY was where I'm stopping, but that doesn't mean I can't go further east, especially for something as cool as that!

I volunteer there. The museum is INCREDIBLE - but as far the piano collection goes - there's really nothing on display to write home about - other than the ORIGINAL Steinway (on loan), and a handful of 150-200+ year old instruments (most of which are also on loan).

Sam

It would be a good idea to call Mammoth in advance of a visit. That is a small operation, and they would have to know you are coming.

P.S. - I know Mason & Hammlin and the Walter factories do have tours. You can get directions & phone numbers off of their websites.

I imagine the same would apply to Mason and Hamlin and Charles Walter.

Walter is in Elkhart, IN and Mason is in Haverhill, MA. Both offer tours and you need to call ahead to schedule.

Yep, Cunningham's is in Philly. Say Hey to Rich and be hungry for a cheese steak.

When I travel, I google the piano stores in an area and visit what looks interesting by what brands they carry. In NYC you have a full selection of tremendous stores.

It sounds like fun!

Rubenstein is in Los Angeles and Ravenscroft is in Scottsdale, AZ (Phoenix). Someone else suggested the Musical Instrument Museum, also in Phoenix... Good idea! I'd also like to add the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in NYC, which houses the 1720 Cristofori fortepiano, the oldest extant piano in the world.

Will you be getting as far north as South Dakota? The University of South Dakota has an amazing museum of musical instruments, including a staggering number of early pianos. The National Music Museum, with its incredible collection of string and other instruments is in Vermillion, South Dakota. It is truly and profoundly mind-boggling in the scope and number of its exhibits.

If you do decide to come as far north as the Seattle area please drop by LightHammer Pianos (my shop) to play and hear the state of the art in fine piano building. Call me to arrange time as I do go out on service calls-425-343-9901.

I second RealPlayer's Frederick Historic Piano Collection suggestion! It's a unique experience and the Fredericks are wonderful, gracious, funny, wise and informative hosts who live and breathe pianos. They host a concert series on their various historic pianos at a nearby church in the summer months.

This is rather off the beaten track on winding New England back roads, so it will involve extra time and driving if you are on a road trip. It's not too far from Boston, though -- maybe an hour west. Because it's a small operation and their hours are limited, definitely check in with them ahead of time to make sure the building will be open and you will have time to play the pianos. It's like traveling back through time ... playing music on the pianos for which it was composed.

http://www.frederickcollection.org/studycenter.html