Fox Piano Co.

[Richard Moody]

I saw your pictures, Yes it says Fox  Oakland Calif in raised letters on the
plate, which is what I remembered from a Fox Player I saw in SF. back in the
70's.    The proper decal on the fall board should be Fox.
Yes some parts like a strung back, (which includes back support, pinblock,
soundboard and strings could be ordered from a piano manufacturer and then
the case and keyboard and action put in by the local manufacturer. If that
is case of the Fox piano they might have used Cable Co. for two years,
Kohler for 10 years, and Krell for 15 years after that.    Or they might
have ordered the whole piano from any one of a number of Chicago mass
manufacturers with the Fox name already attached. Unless you can uncover
some records from the Fox company you will never be sure of who made what
parts of a particular piano in question.  
	The paper sticker on the back of the pinblock was an effort to
stabilize prices.  Kind of like the MAP policy today... minimum advertised
price. A bunch of companies used that sticker---it does not indicate who
made the piano.   It only indicates what dealer or wholesaler agreed to
subscribe to that policy. 
		Richard Moody

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Jay Forte
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 11:45 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Fox Piano Co.

Greetings;

I'm in the middle of refinishing "grandma's" piano for a customer.
What I am in need of is some help in identifying who manufactured this 
piano for Fox pianos.
I  believe it was a stencil piano. My thoughts are it could have been 
made by Aeolian, Cable, Gulbransen, Conn, Kohler , etc.
I need to put a decal back on when it is finished, so I would like to 
at least be accurate with the manufacture's decal.
I know I could get a custom decal for this old box, but maker is 
probably close enough.
The only clue I have in I.D. is the sticker on the back. I know I've 
seen this before on others I've serviced, but I just can't remember who 
used it.
Of course, I could always make it a S&S : >.

Thanks to all;
Jay Forte'