The History of Chickering Pianos

[@thomaslotito380]

I tuned a Chickering Square Grand in a church in Vermont in 2000. It's serial number was 326. The piano was in use for 175 years. It was in original and good condition. Amazing. Great piano.

[@Anvanho]

I have played well over 100 different makes of pianos ... and in some cases, many models of the same make (many Steinway; lots of Baldwins; a dizzying number of Wurlitzer; etc., etc.) and without equivocating, I always tell listeners when I am asked: Chickering is favorite piano of all! In my regular performance route (I run a busy music business performing all over Northern California), my favorite piano I get to play every week is a 1934 Chickering. I just find the touch response to be the sweetest, most inviting feel of any key response on any piano. Thanks for the video!

[@lunasmovingcompanymovingst6152]

We're a moving and storage piano company. A customer released their 1986 Chickering Parlor Grand to us since they no longer wanted to keep paying storage and no longer live in the US. Looks to be in amazing shape. But still has original strings. I am going to re-string it and keep it. Very beautiful piece.

[@geraldparker8125]

You are right about the grandeur of Chickering grand pianos. I wish, though, that you would have played something on that magnificent-looking Chickering piano before which y9u posed. I had access to a completely restored Chickering concert grand piano where I lived as an university student in Boston. It was incomparable! The piano had such a lustrous sound that I would get goose-bumps and rushes just playing it. The loss of that firm is perhaps the single biggest corporate tragedy in American piano-making.

[@sherridepalma8744]

I am a descendent of Jonas Chickering. Thanks for sharing Sherry Chickering DePalma

[@Paul-lm5gv]

Chickering & Sons in 1908 became part of the American Piano Co. (Ampico) which merged with the Aeolian Company in 1932 to form Aeolian-American. Production by this time was moved to East Rochester, NY (my hometown) where five piano factories sat side by side under the Aeolian-Amercan umbrellla and turned out an amazing 30,000 pianos a year. Besides Chickering, the other manufacturers were Mason & Hamlin, Wm. Knabe, Fischer and Foster-Armstrong. Aeolian went under in the 1980's despite having been bought out by the former president of Steinway. The sprawling plant made airplane parts for the war effort during WWII... and is now the Piano Works Mall!

[@prasadmather]

I've just bought a chickering (Chicago) acoustigrande in rosewood. It's phenomenal.

[@geraldparker8125]

The landlord of the rooming house in which I lived as an undergrad student in Boston had a concert grand Chickering piano which he had fully restored. It was utterly glorious to play upon that instrument. Only, in my experience, could Bluethner concert grands exceed the power and beauty of tone combined of that Chickering concert grand. A transcendally glorious and fine piano!

[@fazdoll]

Proud owner of a 5'7" 1918 Chickering which I acquired quite by accident from a church giveaway. I had no idea what Chickering was and only found out later (from Robert!) how lucky I was. I had the guts repaired/regulated but couldn't afford to refinish the mahogany veneer. I don't care -- it sounds great. I know what Robert means by the sound. The notes have a distinct (not muddy) sound and yet the tone is warm and woody at the same time. It sound like old-fashioned quality, like an Old Master painting compared to modern art.

[@NN-rn1oz]

As a lover of good old American pianos, Chickering has always been one of my favorite brands, along with Knabe, Mason & Hamlin, and US-made Baldwin's.

[@Phono-fun]

I really enjoyed this little short history, I'd love to see more like on Aeolian, Bush & lane and some of the other American piano companies.

[@christopherhosford7805]

Thanks Robert for this video. I bought my Chickering new in 1978 -- a 5 foot, 8-1/2 inch "Patrician" model (walnut case), the largest instrument the company made at this late date in its East Rochester, NY, plant -- and it's been lovingly maintained over the years, and plays better than ever. Yes it's undergone voicing, regulation, hammer treatment, etc., along with the usual stuff. The original dealer didn't do any prep, so it took a while and the employment of technicians over the years to bring it to its present state. But that's the fate of all serious pianists. We KNOW we have to maintain the dang things. I'm convinced my Chickering will give years of enjoyment to me and others.

[@christopherhosford7805]

I'd like to add one note about the dark Chickering "tone" that you mentioned. Not to knock any other brand, but here in NYC very often I'm at a concert where the piano sounds metallic, very painful to listen to. I guess you can figure out which brand I'm talking about. Is it modern fashion to voice pianos this bright?

[@Brettski94]

Excellent video! I didn't know this much about Chickering...Thank you!!

[@sha1658]

I love my Chickering. There's a story behind every piano. My story? I learned to play on my grandmother's Chickering spinet. The sound! Resonance! My fingers could fly across the keys. She gave it to me when I married - though I had purchased a Samick petit baby grand. Long story---When my son married and moved to his new home I offered it to him. He never played it, and it was there as part of the furniture. He just started a renovation last week. At the last minute, he said the piano was too heavy to shove in the back room and they were set to start demolition the next day. I said, 'That's okay, I'll find a mover to bring it here.' He was flabbergasted that I felt so passionate about the Chickering. He was assuming I would toss out. I found a piano mover that would pick it up early (before the demo) and bring it to my house. I was so tearful (joyfully so) when they brought it home. That's all it wanted.

[@Fmendonca10]

Thank you for the very educational video.

[@nickhunter1245]

I own a Chickering 5.8 Grand Parlor from 1966 and i wouldn’t let it go even for a million bucks. You can trash all your cheap standardized uniformed Yamahas or Kawais.... I was lucky to find one for a miserable $3k... such a steal. Despite the fact that it still renders the super natural brillant chickering tone, I planned to restring, revoice and regulate it in the very close future. For less than $10k in total you could have one of the best piano at home.

[@Zsaxman60]

I inherited a 5 foot 8 inch Chickering in Mahogany. I had it restored and was told it was from the 1880’s. Where would I find the serial #? I have looked everywhere. (But I did not take out action because I wouldn’t what I’m doing and would be afraid I would mess something up).

[@donnamichiels]

My great grandfather name is Earl Chickering the piano came from his line

[@benhume2874]

Abraham Lincoln to Glenn Gould famously used Chickering. Loved m Moms Chickering Grand. I inherited a great aunts. $8,000 rebuild needed. Sold for $2k. Broke my heart. My brother had Moms piano in his garage. Broken pipe flooded garage. First come first get. He gave away Moms Chickering assuming I could not afford to ship it for $1k to 1000 miles away. How did I lose two Chickerings? Great regret. Letting go of it constantly. One great desire. Buy one. Restore it. Hold onto it!

[@westernkentucky5956]

You're right. Gould loved his practice Chickering at Lake Simcoe. You need to get another one.

[@jamoe4802]

Great episode

[@dtbecerra1]

Great video! I just inherited a beautifully restored 1901 6.5'' Chickering grand piano with that same extra-wide cheekblock. There is really no compare to the sound and feel of a genuine american-made grand piano, to that of an asian production piano. The bass is just so clear and full with extraordinary highs in the treble! I just love it!

[@loracio]

En su relato No escuché absolutamente nada acerca de los "Reproducing Pianos" made by Chickering, los cuales contaban con el sofisticado sistema "The Ampico".-

[@Anvanho]

2:47 "Piano companies were making parts for aircraft." True. Yes, and I'm reminded that piano builder Packard went into airplane propeller production during the war.

[@arjunchickering1085]

My family made these.

[@jennakatze5401]

My piano teacher has a Chickering

[@jenniferswerdlick8574]

Restaurant Equipment Paradise is conducting an Auction with Dan Stanavage in Stonington CT for a Chickering Piano -- sept 21st 8:30 am 860Auctions.com

[@99Grigor]

The cheek block thing is not a proven aspect. In fact, if soundboard area alone were a determining factor for sound, all piano manufacturers would have designed their instruments with enlarged soundboards. The wide cheekblock has more to do with the design of the plate and string rake as well as the bridge placements. From the standpoint of soundboard area, you can not just make soundboards larger and expect a bigger, richer sound. Other complex factors of design must be in proportion to the amount of soundboard you are trying to resonate. I will state that having rebuilt many Chickerings in my day, the Chickering grands did have a unique case design in that many models including the 6ft 4in which Glenn Gould owned, was wider than most pianos. Now, you might say "well there you go, it IS bigger". Ah but for the fact that on these pianos, the actual string lengths, esp in the bass and low tenor were basically similar to other 6ft 4 in.The belly wall actually was set a bit further back than most piano allowing for a little extra key length. This gave the 6' 4" mode; better than average leverage for the action and allowed it to have a nice easy action. As far as the piano having more soundboard area, I rather doubt it if you really measured it. The "warm Chickering tone" was due more to such factors as scale design in which such features as bridge placements, string diameters and possibly rib design rather than a larger soundboard.

[@benschwab3592]

we have a Chickering Baby Grand along with a Wurlitzer spinet. i’m interested in figuring out what year ours is... the serial number printed on it is 337665.

[@paxwallacejazz]

Chickering and Mason & Hamlin

[@eileengreaney9307]

hello

[@nerhu59]

Would have been nice to see a few examples of these pianos, not just the face of some random fellow.