we have an old piano from about 1920 i think ,we are trying to find info on it and don't know much about it the only writing on it says (carl eckert) berlin any help on how to find out more about this would be helpfull thanks Chris

Hi Chris,

Is the "Carl Eckert" on the fallboard(keyboard cover)? If that is in the form of a decal, that would be the manufacturer(I have a feeling that's it, BTW).

If you would like to more precisely date the piano, along with the name of the manufacturer, we'll need the serial number. If you open the lid and look in the vicinity of the tuning pins, usually toward the right side of the piano, you'll see, through a hole in the plate if it's a full plate, or on the pin block if it's a 3/4 plate(the plate doesn't cover the tuning pin area), a number, usually 5 or 6 digits ~3/8" tall, stamped into the wood. That is the serial number, and most piano technicians have a reference guide that can tell them what year that serial number was produced. I have one, even though I'm no longer a practicing technician, so if you'd like to either post it here or pm me with it, I can look it up.

Some questions:
How long have you had the piano?
What do you know of its history?
Does the player action work?
Does the piano action itself work/does it play?
Do you know if the player action has ever been rebuilt?
When was the last time the piano was tuned?