While the former obviously needs more work than the latter from the pictures, it really does depend on the quality of your piano (and how ambitious you’re willing to be with the starting price).įrom the research I’ve done across multiple products under the Chickering brand name, I’d say you’re looking at an average price of about $600 for a functioning Chickering piano. While an 1876 piano from Chickering may sell online for $100, another upright Chickering piano from the 1800s could sell for $1,100. While the words “antique” or “vintage” can assign more weight to a product, it unfortunately works against you with most pianos, unless they’ve been restored (restoration is a process that returns a piano to its original look and functionality, as if it was brand new-but is often very expensive). Their most popular piano was the square grand piano, and came in different forms- Victorian, Empire Style, Rosewood Victorian, Rococo style, and several more. The price is further dependent on the product itself. Their value may be quite low if no work has been done, but restored Chickering pianos can sell for a great deal of money. The business boomed for quite some time, and there is no doubt that hundreds, if not thousands, of their pianos are still in circulation or sitting in someone’s home. The company was established in Boston, Massachusetts in 1823. So, I don't know for your case, but that's what I know about Kimball pianos.Chickering pianos specifically have a rich history in the United States, but many of them are quite old. And I restate, it was appallingly loud, even for a pretty good-sized room, but you're going to get that anyway. So, the action was OK, and it made for good furniture, I guess, is my summary. The action was heavy, but I kind of like a heavier action, just for the tactile feedback. Probably just from years of experience playing on bad pianos. I guess it was a good piece of furniture, and I've visited back there a year or two ago and did a little session on it, just me alone doing some jazz stuff, and it still had those qualities, but I could get a bit of music out of it. She could tune it, of course, but that was her opinion as well. The best piano tech in town, she couldn't even do anything with it, and basically said forget about it, let me only play and work on the old honky-tonk upright on the other side of the room. I don't know if the pegs were all messed up from age, but it wouldn't hold a tuning. The voicing of the hammers was terrible, at least to my tastes, the sustain and una corda pedal mechanisms were not good. I don't remember the exact length, but you could call it a baby grand size. When I was a teenager and lived with my folks, we had a Kimball (I don't remember the year, but it was pretty old) supposedly from a deceased grand-aunt who was some kind of piano teacher out in the sticks. I can't say, obviously, without playing the instrument, but if it were me, I'd sell it and, if desired, basically swap it for as much Yamaha acoustic as you can get. I CAN supply pictures if necessary, but it might take a while as I am currently away from home.
#1933 kimball baby grand piano professional#
If it is a decent instrument I would consider getting a professional to do repairs(if necessary). What I'm more concerned about is whether or not this piano is worth keeping as it takes up quite a lot of space. I've read a bit about the history of the company and mostly gotten that Kimball pianos are not necessarily known for their quality instruments, especially newer pianos.
#1933 kimball baby grand piano crack#
There is some pretty considerable damage to the lid where years of sunlight has caused the finish to peel and crack on the lid and music rack. Mechanically, it seems to be fully functional with no dead keys or anything like that. Its a glossy white 5'8" Baby Grand that has a small plaque on the inside giving a little bit of the history of that event, ect. I was given one of the Kimballs used in the 1984 Olympic opening ceremony. First off, I already have this piano in my posession and have done a bit of research but was hoping someone with a lot more knowledge here could give me some advice being that I do not know much about pianos (not my primary instrument).