Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Asian Stencils -- How to Pierce the secrecy?

We're getting a lot of questions here about recent Asian made stencil pianos. We might be able to figure some of them out via Pierce if we could narrow down the makers who have been active in that market. Running the given serial numbers through all the candidate tables in Pierce could eliminate some of the possibilities.

So who are the candidate makers we should consider? Samick, Daewoo/Shojin, Young Chang, who else?

this trade site lists the top five manufacturers in the glorious people's republic. with those five companies identified, consumers can determine what brands names are marketed from each. there's also Parsons of course, which probably gets pianos from some of those five manufacturers. do steinway's stencil brands get exempted from the category ?

http://daxueconsulting.com/the-piano-industry-in-china/

John, you've been kind, considerate and generous in sharing the information in your Pierce Piano catalog of the various makes and brands. Other here have too, but I've noticed that you have been very active lately in trying to help others who ask questions about various makes and brands of pianos. So, thank you for that; that is what Piano World is all about, or at least should be.

That said, there are so many brands out there it can be quite confusing for consumers, even those who are familiar with pianos to an extent (like me). But I learn something new regarding pianos almost every day, and that is why I enjoy the Piano World forums.

And, you are right, Stencils are even more confusing, it seems. For example, I almost learned the hard way that a DH Baldwin ain't no real Baldwin.

So, you do have to be careful...

Rick

Even before pianos came from Asia, many people learned that Hamiltons, Howards, Monarchs, and other names made by and used by Baldwins were not real Baldwins, particularly the grands.

Pearl River of course do quite a few stencils - although the difference between brands and stencils are sometimes difficult to discern. However, in the UK at least, some models in the PR range can be identical pianos but be named either Bentley, Waldstein, Steinbach or Ritmuller.

Does anyone know where the Gors and Kallmann are made today ?I believe they were made in made as stencels in the UK ,I think by Knight and even South Africa by a German piano maker by the name of Dietman .I think that was the name .I see Gors and Kallmann is still being made today .I don't think by those 2 countries.

Gors and Kallman was a Berlin piano company. the present day pianos with the brand name are built in the glorious people's republik. Roberts pianos (Oxford) has experience in restoring the Berlin-made pianos.

http://www.robertspianos.com/cdetails.php?ID=98&Make=Gors-&-Kallmann-Pianos

the present day pianos

https://shacklefordpianos.com/gors-kallmann-125cm-upright-piano-in-victorian-style/

Thank you for letting me know .My husband had a Gors and Kallmann when we lived in South Africa for a while .It was not bad, but a stencel made in S.A .My first music teacher had an original German one .By the way we sold the stencel .It has lasted for years .Regards.

What about Ramaou pianos, Oh I cannot think how you spell the name .It is sold in France ,named after the composer and theory expert .First name Claude I think .Born in Dijon .Are the pianos stencels or made in France? They seem quite popular .

if you mean Rameau pianos, until late in the last millennium they were still being made in la belle france. apparently they marketed pianos in the UK with the famous department store, harrod's. they were making Schimmel clones at one point.

https://www.piano-tuners.org/piano-forums/viewtopic.php?t=4840

http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2344015/Rameau.html

Rameau and a couple of other known french piano makers (Gaveau for example) were 'amalgamated' by Pleyel in the last few decades Pleyel existed as a french piano maker. since the pleyel brand has been revived in Indonesia-made pianos (big companies relabelling indonesia-built pianos include Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway, Samick), it's very possible that recent 'rameau' pianos are also built there.

https://www.pianobuyer.com/Resources/Piano-Brands-Profiles/Detail/ArticleId/285/Brand/PLEYEL

Thanks ! I am on vacation in Paris .We went a piano store and saw a few European pianos and also Kawai pianos.There were at least 2 vertical Ramau pianos and we were told by a lady they were popular .The store also contained used pianos .Some seamed like real bargains in the used piano section .

Yesterday I went into a music store and there was what looked like a 19th century Heintzman upright piano. It had what looked like a Gothic pattern on the upper front panel .When lifting the keyboard cover , a section opened ,I think behind the music desk .

Lady Bird< I love Paris. It seems that Piano's are quite a bit cheaper over there.

If you have enough time I suggest you take this walk.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUse...rte_Rene_Dumont-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

If you have been in New York the highline is based on this. Old elevated train tracks that have been converted into a park.

One more link for you, it takes half a day but a great/ cheap way to see Paris with the Parisiens.


https://www.messynessychic.com/2012/07/06/paris-secret-park-in-the-sky-the-original-high-line/

Sorry went and posted before I finished !
When I played the piano it produced a strange tinny sound and sounded almost like an old piano .The colour of this piano was a strange mauve brown.
Heintzman was a well known Canadian piano. This Victorian style piano was a new stencil piano .Its action was OK I could even play with a teeny bit of expression. It would do very well at a childrens Halloween party .Canadian Halloween is at the end of the month .
By the way I am BACK in Vancouver. SORRY to SPOIL your your JOKE LEARUX .

The piano is a music store in Vancouver. We had a great time in Paris went Versailles, saw the Mona Lisa ,the paintings of Van Gogh ,the impressionist paintings ,climbed the towers of Notre Dame etc .The thing I do not do is make unfortunate people a curiosity .There were plenty of refugees and other kinds of sad people in Paris .I also have been to Paris a number of times .So now LEARUX you can go back to your fancy Steinways !

No I am not looking for a cheap piano as I have just bought a Sauter 130 .Also I did not go to Paris on the cheap .LEARUX it surprises me .,what kind of mind makes fun of poverty !!!
You answer that not me !

The whole point of what I was saying is that I find it very strange that a well respected Canadian piano that gave many families joy should end up as a weird kind of Gothic caricature stencil piano . I am interested in the whole social aspects of the piano and piano playing .Selling it in a Canadian music store is even more weird!

Lady Bird, have you been sipping too much wine? I missed the date and was under the impression that you were still on vacation in Paris.

All I did was give you a pointer for a nice thing to do while in Paris. I don't understand the yelling at me nor the reference to "my fancy steinways"

I hope you sleep well and wake up without a hangover, your response was uncalled for.

Learux

I am sorry if I am wrong ! But you did emphasize looking at cheap pianos in Paris and going to free sights ,looking at where the rich live .The bargains in Paris I was talking about were on used Bechsteins ,Bluthner etc.The only stencels I saw there were Ramau pianos. This whole thread is about the cheaper pianos which some people are proud of as that's all they can afford .
Again Learux I am sorry if I am oversensitive and misunderstood you .At the moment I am having some health concerns and perhaps need to start sipping too much wine ! Especially as I hardly do at all . I see you have a Schimmel grand ,very nice piano .You a Schimmel and me a Sauter upright .,we are both blessed or lucky which ever seems better .