List of piano manufacturers

This is a partial list of piano manufacturers. Most piano professionals have access to detailed information about these brands using a Piano Atlas to reference serial numbers, which are used to determine a piano's age using the year a piano was built. This information is often used in piano appraisals.

Active brands or companies


Company Place Years active Acquired by Notes
Altenburg[1] Germany 1847–present Altenburgs immigrated to New York City in 1855 and opened a piano factory. Afterwards they moved to Elizabeth.
Artmann[2] Shanghai, China 1998–present
August Förster[3] Löbau, Germany 1859–present
Baldwin[4] Cincinnati, OH, USA 1890–present Gibson Guitar Corporation
Bechstein[5] Berlin and Seifhennersdorf, Germany 1853–present Was owned by Baldwin in 1963. Also manufactured Zimmermann brand after 1992
Belarus[6] Belarus 1935–present Only upright pianos of his own brand. Also manufactures brands Sängler & Sohne, Schubert and Wieler.
Blüthner[7] Leipzig, Germany 1853–present
Borgato[8] Venice, Italy 1991–present Handcrafted concert grand pianos,
Bösendorfer[9] Vienna, Austria 1828–present Yamaha Acquired in 2007
Brodmann[10] Vienna and Hong Kong 2004-present Made by Parsons Music Hong Kong[11]
Broadwood and Sons[12] London, UK 1774–present Upright and antique grand pianos.
Cavendish Pianos[13] Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire 2012–present
Colmann[14][15] Saint-Dizier, France 2004–present
Edelweiss Pianos[16] Cambridge, UK 1975–present Upright and grand pianos.
Ellington Piano Division of Baldwin Piano Co. ??-1930 Sold “Manualo” and “Modello” models Upright and grand pianos.
Estonia[17] Estonia 1893–present
Fandrich & Sons[18] Stanwood, WA, USA 1992–present
Fazioli[19] Sacile, PN, Italy 1978–present
Feurich[20] Vienna, Austria 1851–present
Fritz Dobbert[21] São Paulo, Brazil 1950–present
Grinnell[22] Detroit, Michigan 1902–present Samick Sold under names Lenard, Clayton, Holly, Uxbridge and Playtona. Address: 1515 Woodward Ave.
Grotrian-Steinweg[23] Braunschweig, Germany 1835–present
Hailun[24] China present
Henk Hupkes[25] Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2007–present Build in cooperation with Thüringer Pianoforte, Eisenberg, Germany
Kawai[26] Hamamatsu, Japan 1930–present Also owns the Shigeru Kawai brand
Klavins[27] Vác, Hungary 2017–present
Maene[28] Ruiselede, Belgium 1938–present Founded by Parents Albert Maene-Doutreloigne
Mason & Hamlin[29] Boston, USA 1854–present Part owned by The Cable Company (from 1904–1924). Acquired by American Piano Company (1924), Aeolian (c.1929), Aeolian-American (1932), (Various owners from 1940s–1980s), Sohmer & Co. (1985), and Burgett, Inc. (1996) This brand has changed hands and factories many times in its history. See main article.
Neupert[30] Hallstadt bei Bamberg, Germany 1868–present
Stephen Paulello[31] Villethierry, France 1991–present
Pearl River[32] Guangzhou, China 1956–present
Perzina[33] Lenzen, Germany and Yantai, China 1871–present Yantai
Petrof[34] Hradec Králové, Czech Republic 1864–present
Pfeiffer[35] Stuttgart, Germany 1862–present
Pleyel[36] Paris 1807–present
Phoenix[37] Kent, United Kingdom 2010–present
Rönisch[38] Leipzig, Germany 1897–present
Ravenscroft[39] Scottsdale, AZ, USA 2003–present
Rubenstein[40] Los Angeles, USA 2005–present
Samick[41] Incheon, South Korea 1958–present
Sauter[42] Spaichingen, Germany 1819–present
Tamagni[43] Italy 1950-present
Thürmer[44] Bochum, Germany 1834–present
Schimmel[45] Germany 1885–present
Schulze & Pollman[46] Borgo Maggiore, San Marino 1928–present
Seiler[47] Kitzingen, Germany 1849–present Samick
Sjuman Instruments[48] Indonesia 2015–present
Steingraeber & Söhne[49] Bayreuth, Germany 1852–present
Steinway & Sons[50] New York, USA and Hamburg, Germany 1853–present Pianos are also sold under the Boston and Essex brands
Stuart and Sons[51] Newcastle, Australia 1990–present
Suzuki[52] Japan 1953–present Digital grand and upright pianos
Walter Piano[53] Elkhart, IN, USA 1975–present Charles R. Walter pianos
Weber (New York)[54][55] New York 1852–present Young Chang Albert Weber pianos
Wilh. Steinberg[56] Germany 1877–present
Yamaha[57] Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan 1887–present Acquired Bösendorfer in 2007. See also List of Yamaha products
Young Chang[58] Seoul, South Korea 1956–present Hyundai Development Company Acquired in 2006
Venables and Son[59] United Kingdom 1981–present

Defunct brands or companies


Company Place Years active Acquired by Notes

A. B. Chase Ohio 1875 Aeolian-American Corp until Aeolian went out of business. Since 2001 the A.B Chase name has been used by Wrightwood Enterprises Inc. on pianos made by the Dongbei Piano Co. in China.
A. M. McPhail[60] Boston, MA 1837–1950 c.1950
A. Mittag Berlin 1800
Aeolian Company New York City 1868–1985 Merged with Ampico in 1932. Ampico rebranded as Aeolian in 1941.
Allen Brook London
American Piano Company East Rochester, NY, US 1908–1941 Aeolian Company aka. Ampico
Astin Weight Salt Lake City 1959–1999
Alexander Herrmann KG Sangerhausen, Germany 1803–1993

Babcock Boston 1810
Barrett Lake London, England
Charles Albrecht Philadelphia, PA and Long Island, NY 1789–Mid 20th Century Schultz & Sons Manufacturing Corp., New York One of the earliest pianos made in America. The first known piano by Albrecht is located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.[61]
Baumann Zweibrücken, Germany 1740–1816
Baumgardt Piano Stockholm, Sweden 1859
Baus Piano Company New York City 1895–1929 Jacob Doll Piano Company Factories located at Southern Blvd. and Trinity Ave. They built a full line of upright pianos, player pianos, and grand pianos. It was acquired circa 1910; went out of business in the Great Depression
Beale Piano Sydney 1893–1975
Becker Brothers New York 1892–1940 They Also built pianos under the Bennington name, and player pianos under the Mellotone and Playernola name as well.
Behr Brothers Piano Company Kohler & Campbell
Bell Canada
Bentley Piano Company
Brinkerhoff
Beulhoff
Bohemia Piano
Boisselot & Fils France 1831–1908 The brand became Boisselot Fils & Co. in 1847, after the passing of his father Jean-Louis Boisselot.
Brødrene Hals Oslo 1847–1925
Brinsmead London 1835–1921
C. Burlman & Co.
Bush & Gerts Chicago, Il 184-1942 Bought by Haddorff Piano co. in 1942
Cable and Sons New York 1852
Cable, Hobart M. La Porte, IN, US 1900–1960s brand was purchased by American Sejung in the 1990s
Cable Company Chicago 1880
Camp & Company New York City 1879-1930 Kohler & Campbell now Samick
Challen London 1804
Chappell Pianos London 1811–1980 Kemble
Charles Stieff Baltimore 1852–1951 c.1852–1951 often referred to as "The poor man's Steinway"
Chas. S. Norris Boston 1930 c.1930
Chernobieff Lenoir City, TN, US 2010 Maker of Mammoth Vertical Concert Grand piano
Chickering and Sons Boston 1823–1983 American Piano Company Acquired in 1908
Collard & Collard London
Cunningham Piano Company Philadelphia 1891
Currier Piano Co. Boston and Marion, NC, US 1823, 1969 Acquisition details
Clementi

Danemann London 1893
Decker Brothers New York 1862

Eastman
Edmund British Columbia
Érard Paris 1777
Emerson Piano Company Boston
Estey Piano Corp 1869
EUTERPE

Fahr Albert Zeitz, Germany 1887–1950
Falcone[62] Haverhill, MA, US 1982–1993 American Sejung Corp.
J.&C. Fischer New York 1840-(1940's sold to Aeolian Piano Co.)
Francis Connor New York 1871

Gabler New York 1851
Gaveau Paris 1847
Generalmusic Italy and Bensenville, IL, US
Glenz (Josef) Breslau
Timothy Gilbert Boston 1827
Goetzmann New York
Gunther [63] Brussels 1845–1960

Haddorf Piano Company Rockford, Illinois 1902–1960 Maker of Steinbach, Clarendon & Dreher, Bush & Gerts
Haines Brothers New York 1851
Hallet, Davis & Co Boston 1843 Hallet, Davis, & Co. is now owned by North American Music, Inc. and has been in production since the original Hallet, Davis & Company was formed in Boston in 1843 by George H. Davis, Russell Hallet, and other partners. It was originally Brown and Hallet in 1835. Hallet & Davis was reconstituted by Davis with another Hallet (Benjamin Franklin Hallet) in Boston in the 1850s.[64] The W. W. Kimball Company acquired Hallet & Davis in the early 1900s. In 1905, the Conway Company, a holding company, acquired the Hallet & Davis name from Kimball. In 1927, Conway disposed of its piano business.[65] In the mid-twentieth century, the Hallet & Davis name, as well as many other U.S. piano brands, were consolidated under the Aeolian-American Corp., which declared bankruptcy in 1985. Known as Brown and Hallet from 1835 to 1843, Hallet, Davis, & Co. is the oldest United States Piano Name still in production. Continuing the Hallet & Davis brand, and appropriate to its Boston association, there was a trademark submission in 1998 for "HALLET, DAVIS & CO. BOSTON" as was applied for by North American Music, Inc., a piano distributor.[66] The application was "Refused/Dismissed or Invalidated" by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO).[67] The very next year, in 1999, North American Music applied again for a Hallet & Davis trademark, but this time simply as "HALLET, DAVIS & CO." (removing "BOSTON"), which was ultimately granted in 2001 by the USPTO.[68] The Pearl River Piano Group of China (which manufactures HD&C pianos as well as Essex Pianos for Steinway & Sons), puts "Boston" under the HD&C and thus providing the continuity of Lineage to its roots in Boston, MA.
Hansmann
Hardman Peck New York 1842
Heichele, Johann Ljubljana, Trieste 1790–1813
Heintzman & Co. Toronto 1866
Herbert Milwaukee, WI US
Hobart M. Cable La Porte, Indiana, US 1900 American Sejung Corp.
Hornung & Møller Copenhagen, Denmark 1827–1972
Hupfield 1880

Irmler Leipzig and Poland

Søren Jensen Copenhagen, Denmark 1893–1921
J. Erbe Eisenach Germany 1881
J. W. Jenkins St. Louis Missouri 1910-1964 Sold under Elburn brand
J. Strauss & Son 1925
Julius Bauer & Co Chicago
Kemble 1911-2009 Yamaha
Kimball Chicago 1857-1996 see Kimball International
Kirschner New York
Knabe Baltimore 1837 American Piano Company Acquired in 1908
Knight, Ltd. 1935
Kohler & Campbell[69] New York 1896 Samick
Krakauer Bros New York 1869
Kranich & Bach 1864
Kurtzmann

Albert W. Ladd & Company Boston 1838
Lauter Piano Co. Newark, NJ, US 1862–1930
Leipziger Pianofortefabrik 1835
Lesage Piano Company[54] Quebec Willis & Co. Acquired in 1907
Lester Piano Company[70] Lester, PA, US 1888–1960 Also manufactured brands Channing, Alden, Bellaire, Schubert and Leonard
Lindeman & Sons New York 1836
Ludwig & Company St. Louis, MO, US 1895

M. Schulz Piano Co. Chicago 1869–1930s Company manufactured and sold pianos under the names of M. Schulz, Walworth, Bradford, Irving, and Maynard, and Aria Divina. They were also sold under the names Brinkerhoff (from teens until about 1950s) and Schriver & Sons.
Marshall & Wendell New York City 1875-1953
Mason & Risch Ontario
Mathushek New York 1852–1879 New Haven 1866
Mehlin & Sons New York 1853–1960
Melville Clark company DeKalb Purchased by Baldwin in 1919
Mendelssohn Canada
Moore and Moore London
Muir, Wood and Company[71] Edinburgh, Scotland 1798–1818 Wood, Small and Company Wood, Small and Company was formed at John Muir's Death in 1818
Murdoch, McKillop & Co Edinburgh, Scotland

Joseph Newman Baltimore 1829
Newman & Bros. Baltimore 1842
Nordheimer Canada

Obermann & Sohn
Overs Sydney, Australia

Pape Paris 1817
P. A. Starck Chicago, Illinois 1891-1965
Petzold Paris 1806
Prate Canada
Pirsson New York 1829

QRS 1900
Quidoz Quebec

Rud. Ibach Sohn Düsseldorf, Germany 1794–2007
Rainer Canada
Reed & Sons Chicago, Il. USA 1842

Manuel Samaniego Madrid 1800s c.1800s–1892
San Francisco Piano Co.
Adam Schaaf[72] Chicago 1873–1930s also sold as Clarion and Orpheus
Schiedmayer 1853
Schiller Piano Company[73] Oregon, Illinois 1890–1936 Cable Company
Scholze
Schweighofer 1792–1938
Sears, Roebuck & Company[74] Chicago 1900–1930 c.1900–1930 Also manufactured/sold brands Beckwith, American Home, Maywood, Beverley, and Caldwell
Sezemsky Chicago 1886–1901
Sherlock-Manning Ontario
Sherman Clay San Francisco
Shomacker Philadelphia 1840s c.1840s
Shondorff Woodbridge, CT 1850-1938 Acquired by National Piano Manufacturing Company Name used until 1960's
Shoninger& Son New York
F.G. Smith New York 1866
Sohmer & Co. New York 1872
Starr Piano Company Richmond, Indiana 1872–1950 Originally named the Trayser Piano Company, after one of its founders, George Trayser. They also produced a more affordable, yet exceptional quality, piano line, the "Richmond Piano Company", which was sold alongside theirs in showrooms. Also known for founding Gennett Records.
Steck New York 1857 American Sejung Corp.
Steinbach & Dreher Rockford, Illinois 1902–1960 Actually made by Haddorff Piano company.
Steger & Sons Chicago,Illinois and Steger, Illinois 1879–1959 "Steger & Sons is one of the few American manufacturers to survive the Great Depression without being absorbed into a larger conglomerate. "[75]
Sterling Piano Company Derby, CT, US 1866–1967 Founded in 1845 as The Sterling Organ Company by Charles A. Sterling, the company merged with the Winter Piano Company after the Great Depression. They also produced the cheaper, but reputable, Huntington Piano.
Story & Clark Chicago 1884
Straube Piano Company Downers Grove, Illinois (1895–1904)
Hammond, Indiana (1904–1940)
Chicago Heights (1940–1942)
Rockford, Illinois (1942–1949)
1895–1949 C.G. Conn (1942) Manufactured Straube, Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward; receiver's sale in 1934; bankruptcy in 1937 — remaining assets, including name and patents continued in 1937 in the newly formed Indiana corporation, Straube Pianos Inc.
Streicher 1802
Strich & Zeidler[76][77] New York City 1889–1930s Also manufactured Homer brand
Stuyvesant New York

Thos Goggan & Brothers Texas
Th. Mann & Co. Bielefeld, Germany 1836 – 1942 c.1942

Uebel & Lechleiter Heilbronn, Germany 1872–1987
United Piano Makers New York 1800s c.1800s

Waldberg Berlin 1890 c.1890
George Weber & son, John Chicago 1917
Weber (Ontario)[54] Kingston, ON, Canada 1862 Lesage Piano Company
Whaley-Royce Toronto
Whelpdale, Maxwell & Codd 1876
George Wilkinson London 1811
R. S. Williams & Sons[78] Toronto and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 1856 ceased production in 1931 Manufactured mandolins, banjos, melodeons, organs and pianos
Willis & Company Ltd.[79] Montreal 1889–1979 Acquired Lesage Piano Company in 1907. Also manufactured Newcombe
Wolfframm Dresden Dresden, Germany 1872–1930s Started out under brand name Apollo
Wornum London 1811
Wood, Small and Company[80] Edinburgh, Scotland 1818–1829 Successive firms were Wood and Company, J. Muir Wood Company, and Small, Bruce and Company Continued until Andrew Wood's Death in 1829
Wornum London 1811
Wurlitzer Cincinnati, OH, US 1856–1988 Baldwin Also sold under the names Apollo, De Kalb, Julius Bauer, Farney, Kingston, Kurtzman, Merrium. Schaff Bros. and Underwood.


Zimmermann Seifhennersdorf, Germany 1884–2011 Bechstein Pianoforte Fabrik AG Acquired in 1992

References

  1. Altenburg Piano House Website
  2. Artmann website
  3. August Forster website
  4. Baldwin website
  5. Bechstein website
  6. The Virtual Pianoshop. "Piano: Belarus". Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  7. Blüthner website
  8. Borgato website
  9. Bösendorfer website
  10. "Brodmann website". Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. "Parsons Music website". Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  12. Broadwood and Sons website
  13. Cavendish Pianos website
  14. Colmann Pianos website
  15. Colmann Pianos facebook
  16. Edelweiss Pianos website
  17. Estonia website
  18. Fandrich & Sons website
  19. Fazioli website
  20. Feurich website
  21. Fritz Dobbert website
  22. Grinnell Pianos website: Steinway Piano Gallery at Detroit
  23. Grotrian-Steinweg website
  24. Hailun website
  25. Fenix Music Factory website, owner of Hens Hupkes piano
  26. Kawai website
  27. Klavins website
  28. Maene website
  29. Mason & Hamlin
  30. Neupert website
  31. Stephen Paulello website
  32. Pearl River website
  33. Perzina website
  34. Petrof website
  35. Pfeiffer website
  36. Pleyel website
  37. Phoenix Pianos website
  38. Rönisch website
  39. Ravenscroft website
  40. Rubenstein website
  41. Samick website
  42. Sauter website
  43. Tamagni website
  44. Thürmer website
  45. Schimmel website
  46. Schulze & Pollman website
  47. Seiler website
  48. Sjuman Instruments website
  49. History of the Manufacturers Steingraeber & Söhne (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-05, retrieved 2012-12-04
  50. Steinway and Sons website
  51. Stuart and Sons piano website
  52. Suzuki Digital pianos website
  53. Walter Piano website
  54. "Antique Piano Shop, Weber".
  55. Weber pianos website
  56. Wilh. Steinberg website
  57. Yamaha Pianos website
  58. Young Chang Piano America website
  59. Venables & Son website
  60. "Antique Piano Shop, McPhail".
  61. Bob Pierce, Larry Ashley Pierce Piano Atlas, 10th Edition, September 26, 1996
  62. "Falcone, The Handmade American Piano".
  63. "Antique Piano Shop, Gunther".
  64. Novak., Clinkscale, Martha (1993–1999). Makers of the piano. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198163231. OCLC 27430492.
  65. Dolge, Alfred (1913). Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. 2. Covina, CA: Covina Publishing Company. p. 107. ISBN 1527808947.
  66. "- North American Music". namusic.com. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  67. "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  68. "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  69. Kohler & Campbell website
  70. "Lester Piano Company". Archived from the original on 2012-06-06.
  71. Palmieri, Robert (2003). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. New York City, NY, USA: Taylor & Francis. p. 243.
  72. "Antique Piano Shop, Adam Schaaf".
  73. Novak, Alice (29 November 2012), NRHP Nomination: Oregon Commercial Historic District (PDF), Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015
  74. The Antique Piano Shop. "Sears, Roebuck & Company". Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  75. "Steger & Sons". antiquepianoshop.com.
  76. "Antique Piano Shop, Strich & Zeidler".
  77. Dolge, Alfred (1913). Pianos and Their Makers: Development of the piano industry in America Since the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, 1876; Volume II. Covina Publishing Company.
  78. "R.S. Williams & Sons". The Canadian Encyclopedia, by Helmut Kallmann, Carl Morey, and Florence Hayes, February 7, 2006
  79. "The Canadian Encyclopedia, Willis & Company Ltd". Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  80. Palmieri, Robert (2003). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. New York City, NY, USA: Taylor & Francis. p. 435.

See also

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