Today I looked at what was advertised to be a 7'6" Broadwood & Sons manufactured in 1925. Serial number is 9318. It has a decal on the soundboard that says "Semi Grand". I looked in Pierce and it has listed first - grands 1820-#8525 and 1825-#10343. That would suggest my serial nuber would be somewhere between 1823 and 1825. However, Pierce gives a series of piano types of various years, one of which is "Semi & Short D.R. Grands.................#7251-#11050 manufactured between 1870 and 1876. I think this is where my serial #9318 falls. The piano is straight strung, but has a full sectional plate. One section is the piece with all the hitch pins, one is covering the pinblock and has all the agraffes (yes, all strings run though an agraffe), and these two are connected with bolt-on struts and other steel whathaveyous. They didn't have that much metal in a piano in 1825 - did they? I think this piano must be early 1870s. It has a single escapement action. Anyone with enough experience here to comment? The piano in many ways is real nice. Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
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