I have a 1904 Everett 56" upright, which appears to be a well-made instrument. I'd like any info people can give me about Everett and its manufacturer, John J. Church, during this early period. What I know I've learned from Robert Furst at Bluebook of Pianos.com, which is that Church manufactured in Boston from 1883 to 1926, then the company was sold to Cable-Nelson. Apparently, while made by Church, the instruments were regarded very highly, but once the company was sold, they became just another mass produced piano such as the majority of US pianos.

Were early Everetts considered exceptional instruments? Anybody know where I can get more info on these?

Mine has a true sostenuto pedal and lost motion compensator for the soft. It has a sticker action and a bass bridge that is in a straight line, not curved. It does not have a wire insert for the plate bridge, so the strings ride on cast iron, and the tenor bridge is notched for a plate support. These two features are not features of the very best pianos, so says Reblitz. The lower half of the wrapped strings are copper wrapped, the other half steel wrapped. Though old and in need of TLC, it has a rich tone, except for the steel wrapped strings. Nice mahogany carvings and veneer.

So what do I have here? Just another slightly better than usual old worn out behemoth, or a diamond in the rough? The contemporary reputation of Everett seems to have been made by the later instruments which were not made by Church and were mediocre. Were the old ones made by Church considered superior instruments at the time, or is this just wishful thinking?

Any info on the reputation of Everetts manufactured by Church (1883-1926) would be appreciated.

I don't see how anyone could possibly know more about your piano than you already do.

IMO you "have here just another slightly better than usual old worn out behemoth."

Everett's were in the working man's tier of pianos of that day, a la Kimbal, Wurlitzer, et al. Not in the pantheon of Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Chickering, Knabe, Sohmer, etc.

Hmmm- interesting situation with some seemingly contradictory information.

Obviously antique Everetts are not in the top tier class and I have no illusions about that. But, note this-

Robert Furst, web author of Bluebook of Pianos, states that Everetts were adopted by various notables in the 1900 period, such as Teresa Carreno, John Phillips Souza, Walter Damrosch of the NY Symphony and others.

My 1904 upright has a true sostenuto pedal and lost motion compensator mechanism for the soft pedal which, says Reblitz, were only found on more expensive uprights. At the same time, it has a notched treble bridge and the plate bridge has no hard wire for the strings to ride on, both marks of lesser instruments.

I also have a 1905 Francis Bacon upright which is inferior in almost every detail of construction. Bacons were the budget brand of the day, I suppose.

So, Everett obviously doesn't have upper tier status, but at the same time were producing highly regarded instruments with features not found on most instruments.

I guess what I'm learning is that in the golden age of piano manufacture, there were a number of better quality instruments, below top tier, that have been all but forgotten now, with their modern reputations formed from the stencilled models built later by entirely different hands.

All we have are the units the original makers built. Their times, ideas, and spirit were lost to so many corporate mergers.

It's as though Everett added popular features like sostenuto and compensators to their uprights to make them try to compete with the best, while at the same time not adding the real guts like an uncut treble bridge and hard steel plate bridge that would have really made them closer to the top tier.

Say Hi to Bob Furst for me ...

That guy is an interesting fellow in a strange sort of way ..

Did some sales promotions with him many years ago.

Make sure you are reading one of his legitimate publications.

Bear

One thing I've noticed about all of his assessments of the various piano makers is that he says many very nice things. I want the overall context along with the positive assessments, however. The picture is not always rosy.

Anybody else had direct experience with early Everetts, uprights or grands? I'd be interested to hear what you think about where they fit in the picture at the time. thanks

Jeff

Are you getting your info from the Blue Book website? There, it appears that much of the "information" on old brands is taken directly from the companies' marketing brochures. My brief surfing on that area of the site made me laugh out loud when I was reading all about the virtues of the most lowly brands. That "information" needs to be taken with a bag of salt.

Your Everett may be (or may have origianlly been) a decent piano, but I think Craigen has pegged the brand fairly accurately.

"Highly regarded" according to whom? Be very careful basing any judgements on what you have read.

Teresa Carreno, John Phillips Souza, Walter Damrosch of the NY Symphony and others, at least, according to Furst.

But obviously, Furst's account might either be wrong, or even if those people did have Everetts, that doesn't mean all Everetts were as golden as Furst implies. That's why I asked for more history, which doesn't exist, I guess.

Furst's comments sparked my interest, but apparently he's not the most highly regarded authority. Many of his assessments do read like sales brochures.

I'd still like to hear from anyone who has actually worked on a fair number of these early Everetts, to see what their experience has been with them.

Anyway I'm happy with my "working man's" Everett because it's in very good condition for its 100 years, sounds good and is worth tinkering with.

Anyone else actually worked on these early Everetts, 1883-1910, grands or uprights?

Long read, but kinda interesting.

Snippets from a Google search: Everett pianos built by Church.
-------------------------------------------
Orange Coast Piano Inc.

~Presents~

Consignment Gallery Item No. 3

SINCE 1981 SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA

Everett Piano Co.

~Boston~

~William & Mary Art Carved Case Design~

This Everett Art Cased Cabinet Grand Has A Very Rare Veneer

Called: Quarter Sawn Cherry Wood. Very Difficult To Find.

___________________________________

Below is a letter sent to the owner of this Everett Piano built in 1891, by the BlueBookOfPianos.com

In reference to your appraisal inquiry regarding the Everett Cabinet Grand Upright Piano, serial number 16424 manufactured during the spring 1891. This piano is an antique and as such has additional antique value. Antiques have properties that appreciate in value for reasons of age, craftsmanship, artistic merit and/or historical significance. This instrument is made of a beautiful exotic wood with hand carved legs out pictures in the wood above and below. This instrument is a very collectable antique.

Pianos made in this Victorian era were in a combination of classical themes and various historical motifs were utilized in the delicate moldings, carved pilasters and solid trusses. Your piano is an upright over 50 inches tall, which makes it a "Cabinet Grand" or "Concert Grand Upright Piano". These pianos were quite beautiful compared to other instruments being manufactured throughout the world. They are valued as antiques as well as for their musical capabilities.

This piano is maintained in a climate controlled residential environment. When it is tuned for maximum performance the value is $4,500.00. Figure is based on the age, condition, size, grade and rarity of this instrument. This is the average price asked for by a private party. The variable is that the buyer and seller must agree on the costs of moving, tuning and repairs.

EVERETT PIANO COMPANY
The Everett Piano Company was established in Boston, Mass., in 1883, by the John J. Church Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, one of the leading music publishing concerns of America. In June, 1926, Everett merged with the Cable-Nelson Piano Company; and the firm moved manufacturing facilities from Boston to South Haven, Michigan.

From its earliest inception, the Everett was a piano of high quality. Teresa Carreno, foremost pianist of her time; Walter Damrosch, long-time conductor of the N.Y. symphony and pioneer radio conductor; Cecile Chaminade, eminent French composer; the pianist Alfred Reisenauer, John Philip Sousa-these are but a few of the many great artists who played Everett grands on the concert stage or owned, used and admired them in private life. Because of the growing vogue of the small piano in the home and the shrinking market for grands.

"Cabinet Grand" or "Concert Grand Upright" are terms usually referring to certain large upright pianos over 50" tall. Due to their towering height, these instruments usually had string lengths and musical capabilities equal and often superior to actual grand pianos, thus being labeled "Cabinet Grand" or "Concert Grand Upright" by their manufactures. A 52" upright provides as much total soundboard area as 7' grand piano. Its #1 bass string's length nearly matches that of a 6'3" grand. In other words, you get grand piano performance quality in a vertical instrument.

The appraisal values are stated in U.S. Dollars and are based on market values from several sources. Based on comparisons of pianos of this age, condition and nature offered for sale in newspapers and the internet by private parties, music stores, auction houses, and piano teachers, These values are certified through research in Directories of the Music Industry such as, The Presto Piano Buyers Guide, The Pierce Musical Instrument Atlas, The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments and The Bluebook of Pianos, and the Piano Times Newspaper.

Appraised by,
Robert T. Furst - Author
Bluebook of Pianos


EVERETT/CABINET GRAND

French Satin Lacquer

53" TALL

57 & 1/2" WIDE

355 LBS
Serial #: 78344
Retail Value: $11,995.00.
Offered Price: $4,500.00.


All Metal Parts Were Manufactured Originally Of Solid Nickel.

Most Important Is The Beauty Of This Hard Carved Music Rest.

When this piano was manufactured quality was the key to the success of a Piano Company. Today, manufacturers key to success is Quantity!. Here on this page is a sample of Real Quality!
-----------------------------------------

You be the judge.

Bear

Thanks, Bear. I got a similar writeup from Mr. Furst.

"From its earliest inception, the Everett was a piano of high quality."

Sounds great, but if that's true, why don't they have that reputation now?

Wish there was more hard history to go by, or hard experience from techs in the field who've seen these 'high quality' instruments lauded by turn of the century luminaries.

I also have a 1905 Francis Bacon full upright, which is far inferior to the Everett. It's obviously an economy model. Here's Mr. Furst on Bacon:

"Francis Bacon pianos and player pianos were made by The Bacon Piano Co., W. P. H. Bacon, president. The history of this company, starting in 1789, is the history of the piano business in America. It received medals and diplomas for the excellence of its instruments wherever they have been exhibited, notably at the Philadelphia World's Fair in 1876, and at Chicago in 1908. This instrument enjoyed unusual favor with the trade and the musical public, and was regarded as one of the most versatile of all desirable instruments in the market. Francis Bacon pianos, player pianos, electric expression players, reproducing pianos (licensed under Welte-Mignon patents) and grands had a century and a quarter of experience and "know how" behind them and emphasize unusual value at moderate prices."

Mine won't be winning any medals or diplomas for excellence. It's hard to criticize someone when they want to say something nice, but at the same time when inexperienced people like me are looking for accurate info, and find only one source and no other, well, you see the point. Maybe someone should have a heart to heart talk with Mr. Furst.

Thanks for your input.

STILL LOOKING for more hard info on the early history of Everett.

Jeff

Everetts were better than average in the period that you are discussing. They are an entirely different company now. The original company, after many changes, was purchased by Yamaha, who discontinued the brand and allowed the name to fall out of trademark protection, and it was picked up by someone else.

There is not much information about early piano companies. Most of it comes from a few contemporary books by Dolge and Spillane. These may discuss the people who are behind the names, plus some vague notions about the piano, but very little substance about their products. Mostly they read like advertising literature. That was the style of the day.

Beyond that, there have been a few people who have done research into the business records of the time. Again, there is not much information about the pianos themselves. For instance, although it is often said that there were companies that made case components for pianos, I have never read anything that would connect a name to those companies, nor to the manufacturers who used any of them. Action manufacturers often put their name on the actions, but it is usually not a matter of record who supplied actions for a given manufacturer during a given period, and even now, companies may use more than one supplier.

The best evidence for anything about the pianos is the pianos themselves. Those of us who have been working in the business for some time see them and can usually evaluate things about them, but that is just an opinion, clouded by one's experience and preconceptions.

I have tuned many old Everetts and they are generally quite nice. What was considered "quality" or "common" was measured on a different scale than intruments of today. The mere fact your piano is a complex mechanical instument 104 years old and still functioning demonstrates that. Were your piano made today, exactly like it is, it would outshine anything on the market. It would also cost more than any on the market, cost so much it would the market wouldn't bear it.

It's impossible to have a heart to heart with Furst.

Some folks will slant spin in their own favor.
Some want the $20 appraisal fee and won't get it if they don't give flowery accolades to the brands in question.

Not naming names, but in the past {and even now} there are bogus self serving publications favoring certain piano brands over others. These publications usually paint a rosy picture regarding the seller's brands and disparaging the competition's brands.

Anyway, it may be hard to find very many techs that have actually worked on or restored old Everett upright pianos. I'm certainly no expert on this subject, but for the most part many of the old upright pianos end up in the land fills. They usually cost more to put into good shape than their worth.
Your piano sounds like a special instrument in your eyes, and therefore should have special treatment in my opinion.

I hope some of the forum members will be able to help with your quest for more hard fact Everett info..

Best,

Bear

It's a shame that people will bend the truth for their self interest, I suppose, but how many of us can claim we have never done anything of the kind? When did you last fill out a schedule A...

At this point I'm really more curious than anything else. Yes I like my upright, but I don't think it's going to usurp Steinway, even if I refinish it and prove for a fact that Teresa Carreno and John Phillips Souza had dalliance on top of one like it.

I found several turn of the century ads from Church and Co. touting their wares- declaring long lists of contemporary pianists that endorsed Everetts. I'm sure all makers looked for such endorsements and readily advertised them.

One Everett ad lists 1909 prices as $500 to $650 for uprights, 725 to $1500 for grands, up to $10,000 for art cases (which mine isn't). How do those prices compare with other prices in that period?

Is there a source for manufacturers price lists for comparison?

thanks to all for your input.

Our friend Mr. Furst tells us that in 1910 a Steinway model K-52 upright sold for $550, an O for $800, and a D for $1600.

The website www.vintageads4u.com has dated ads clipped from old magazines. Put 'piano' in search and you'll get hundreds of old ads for pianos. Some of the ads contain prices. Here's what I found about what pianos were selling for then:

$185- 1904 Caldwell upr.
$220- 1910 Lindemann upr.
$300-350- 1907 Doylemarx upr.
$350-500- 1904 Boardman and Gray upr.
$365- 1912 Kimball upr.
$450-$575 1907 Everett upr.
$500-650- 1909 Everett upr.
$500- 1906 Weber upr, 1905 Steinway + 1909 Chickering upr
Grands begin at $600

I don't believe Everett's were "working man's" pianos in that period.

But as well, of all these ads, Everett has by far the most proclaimed endorsements by contemporary musicians. Perhaps this means that they were struggling to establish themselves with the likes of Steinway, Weber and Chickering, an effort in which they ultimately failed.

The reputation Everett has now among most people is mediocre, and that firm notion in people's minds won't go away. And if you try to say otherwise, you run the risk of being trounced for being uppity.

I bought the Everett ads confirming early price and I'll file them away for if and when I sell the thing, not that I think it will make a lot of difference.

Meanwhile I have a lot of tiny bridge-pin cracks to fill with epoxy, and some fool tried to refinish the thing by painting over it with varathane......

Thanks to all for your input.

The current company making pianos labeled Everett has no relation to the American Everett piano company, which always had a good, if not stellar, reputation.

Thanks, BDB.

That seems to be the conclusion of experienced people. Too bad there isnt a good book on that early period-it was obviously a time of heated competition, rapid tech advances, and excellent craftsmanship.

It was also a period of trusts, wild claims, slap-dash design, and the minimum possible to make a buck.

The wild claims apparently continue today...

Quote:
"All Metal Parts Were Manufactured Originally Of Solid Nickel."

????????


:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Sorry, there is nothing solid nickel in that piano except the .003" thick nickel plating on a few parts...

Yes, yes, yes. I think we've definitely proven that Mr. Furst's assertions are questionable at best.

But, as a matter of interest, did any manufacturers actually use solid nickel for hardware? Solid bronze pedals? I always thought nickel was only for plating.

Hi,

I see much contradictory information here about the Everett Legacy. One can find a great deal of information about all the manufacturers of late 19 century to mid 20th century here at the following link. It will take you to digital copied pages of the Music Trade Review. It is a fabulous source of information regarding the state of affairs for most manufacturers during the time period. There are many articles, advertisements, claims, state of the industry, and lots more. It can be time consuming, but if you use the search function it can direct your attention closer to what you might be searching for.

As for Everett Pianos, it would seem that they were considered and regarded quite highly (as far as the Grands and Concert Grands)in the time period between 1890 and 1920. certainly not your regular household piano. I think they were considered one of the THREE best around the turn of the century. There is much history surrounding that company, and one can see the beginnings, the growth and acclaim, and the collapse and rebirth (several times over the years after 1920).

I think, from what I can gather, that the Everett Grand, with notable scale, was a superior instrument in a class with Steinway at the time of turn of the century.

I am purchasing one built in 1906, a lovely grand. I cannot wait to pick it up and start reworking it.

Good luck on your piano.

I have just purchased an old Everett Grand piano. I was told that it is about 70 years old, but the serial number seems to indicate that it was built in 1915. It is in original condition, and has a very nice tone. I was told that it had belonged to the same family since it was new. The case might be "blond mahogany" and it has carved legs and trim. There is a matching bench as well.

I appreciate all the research that everyone has shared. It adds even more to an interesting antique piano.