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Well I sent one and it didn't appear let's try this one more time.

I have a piano that grandma has always called a "ranch grand" I learned to play on it as did mom. She has recently passed away and I moved in her house and sold my piano. This one needed tuning bad so in an attempt to find someone to tune it I noticed there is no Maker on it that I can see. No number. It does say Foster & Co. on the harp. Mom said it had been restored because when she was a little girl the floral looking things on the side of it were a different color. New pads were put on too but the original harp in it. It also has metal/brass twisted between the legs of the piano and bench. I have tried every where I can on the net to find a piano like it and I can't. Mom said grandma inherited it in the early 40's from her grandma. Maybe someone can help me. Oh. it appears to be mahogony. Such a beautiful piano.

Thanks

More info? Is it an upright or a grand (4 legs or 3)? If it is a grand, is it rectangular or sort of triangular shaped? What is the height and depth? How many keys? A picture would be great if you can..........Sam

Thanks for replying.

It is a grand but not a full grand but from "family tales" grandma and mom say it's bigger than a baby grand as I said she always said it was a "ranch grand" of course I can't find no such piano. Only a club grand which I believe was a Steinway but I don't think this one is but what do I know (I just play them)

Well I did take pictures on my dig cam BUT we are still unpacking and as soon as my cable to upload them to the computer appears i'll show you a picture. (Working on unpacking things for my computer desk now.)

For now I can tell you that it is on 3 "bases" I wouldn't call them legs. Each of the 3 (two in front/one in rear) have a base board with 2 legs with a metal/twisted leg (that has a diamond shaped floral looking pattern on it) between the 2 legs. (so 2wood 1metal on each base for a grand total of 9 legs if you count the metal) hah.. The part that you sit your music on will slide up a few inches. Then the first part of the top will fold back then you push the entire top up (goes to the left side)to see the inside. It has a metal harp that has big oval holes at the top/it is gold tone (not sure if that was painted during restoration or it is how it came it looks original) it does say Foster & Co. beside one of the ovals on the harp and Rochester NY under it.

Mom can date it to 40's when grandma got it, she thinks it was made before the 20's but after 1920 the pianos had a lot of change I know. This one used to be so great (sound wise) to place and is just to beautiful/to ornate to be a "bad" piano. Mom can remember a label on the front of it before it's restoration but she can't remember what it said she thinks it started with M or H. She also said that those carved pieces on the side of the piano..and on the metal work (those diamond floral looking pattern things) were a different color than the piano.

Woah..I just remembered I have some pictures of her at the age of around 10 with her sitting infront of it maybe it was before restoration. But again they are probably still packed.

I hope this helps you a little. Where did they put the serial numbers on them? I thought I would find one on the harp maybe i'm just missing it. Thanks for all your help. I guess I shouldn't let it bother me so much but i'm wanting to play it and it sounds so bad right now. I want to get the best person to work on it and we are in rural america so finding out its maker/kind is essential in finding someone to work on it.

Thanks so much for your help.

Wow, well, I asked for details!! How cool that this Foster grand came from my hometown of Rochester NY. There is not a lot of info on the company, though. Many player (or reproducer) pianos had the kind of legs that you describe. Maybe it was a player that has been gutted? The serial # should be just under the music desk (or music holder), stamped in ink on the metal plate or stamped into a "window" of wood which shows through the metal plate near the tuning pins. If it was inked onto the plate, the refinisher may have just covered it up with new paint/lacquer. About all we can tell you now is what type of grand it is, based on the length from front to back..........Sam P.S. e-mail a picture to me when you find it: sam@samlewispiano.com

Well I looked under that thingy *hah* and it has stamped 927 which is a funny thing because thats the prefix of our phone number. It's almost 5am on Sun morning and the homecoming kids just left so I just couldn't wait til I slept to see if you responded. I haven't looked for any other number yet..will have to wait til I sleep. Btw those paterns on the legs and I said there were a few on the front/side of the piano. Well I thought those on the piano itself was wood and the one of the twisted iron was metal but the one on the wood is metal too I touched it!...It looks wood I guess because they painted over it mom said they weren't that color before. Anyway I'll look for a number tomorrow and since I haven't found my power cord and upload cord for my cam yet I guess i'll stop obsessing over this piano until I can send a picture..

Coming soon...

A picture...finally I found my cord. As soon as it gets light enough in that room i'll get a picture to you..in like a few hours but you probably aren't checking them today. So again I will have to wait.

Steph

well..i have pictures.....don't have your email address.

Sam@SamLewisPiano.com

It's late here. Just checked my email and saw you had responded. The pics are on their way.

Steph