Can someone tell me the year of manufacture for a Vose and Sons upright with s/n 55910?

Thank you

This post caught my eye since I just tuned one of these this morning. Pierce Piano Atlas puts #55910 as made in 1904.

Thank you very much. The piano has been in our family since then, minus the time it took to get from Boston to Helena, Montana.

I noticed that you commented that you just tuned an old Vose. We have had a Vose & Sons for about 10 years. My daughter just began taking lessons and has expressed a desire to continue. My husband and I were wondering if it was worth having repairs made to it ( a few of the upper keys do not play) and if a tuner could even do any maintence to a piano this old. We have to make the decision to repair, or buy a newer piano. What would you recommend? The serial number on ours is #58512. It is such a pretty piano, I'd hate to trade it for something less appealing as the newer pianos are.

Thanks for any insight.....

Welcome to the Piano World Forums! Vose & Sons #58512 is listed as made in 1905. Your best bet is to hire a technician to check the piano for you. There's no way for us to know here on the forum without actually seeing your piano. Is yours an upright or grand piano? At the time your piano was made, Vose was producing excellent pianos...of course, that was 107 years ago, and time does take its toll on pianos.

Since your daughter just started taking lessons, you want to encourage her in every possible way. One of the best ways is to have a piano that is in tune, tuned to the proper pitch, and in proper working order...mechanically. After all that is taken care of, it should be maintained by a qualified piano technician on a regular basis. Nothing will discourage a beginning piano player more than a piano that is physically difficult to play.

If yours is a Vose upright, my guess as to a few of the upper keys not playing is either a brass flange problem, or broken hammer shanks...as those are two of the common repairs I find on older Vose uprights. Of course, without seeing the piano, it could be something else entirely.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you! It is a really tall upright. I am waiting for a technician to call me back to schedule an appointment. My fear is that it is too old to repair. The inside looks wonderful to me....but I am not an expert. My daughter also plays trumpet and seems to think the piano isn't too out of tune. It plays very well for its age, which is why I don't want to junk it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the keys can be repaired. There are some ivories missing.....other than that the finish is beautiful and the ornate detail is very attractive. We only paid $150 for it with the hope that our daughter would show an interest and if she did we would invest in the repairs or invest in a newer piano. She has been playing since September and has really progressed so we think it's time to get the piano up to par for her. Thanks again....you have given me some hope that it isnn't to old to repair. Will keep you posted.