<html><head><style type="text/css"></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>Thanks to everyone who responded. It is fascinates me that collectively there is so much information on this list.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I visited the 9' Kimball, looked "everywhere" and didn't find a serial number. It has cracks in the soundboard, bridges, looks and smells old, and originally had ivory keytops, so guess-timated it was from the 20's/30's. It wasn't an ex-player, but someone installed a PianoDisc system in the mid-1990's and now it's even more worn out. The owner wants to upgrade to something newer and nicer, but isn't finding much market interest in the Kimball as a trade-in. It isn't the kind of piano you'd want to put in your living room....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Take care,</DIV> <DIV>Dave Davis, RPT<BR></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>"Pianoman" </EM></STRONG><A href="mailto:pianoman@accessus.net"><STRONG><EM>pianoman@accessus.net</EM></STRONG></A><STRONG><EM> wrote:<BR></EM></STRONG>The 9' Chickerings back them were costing $3,000.00 a piece.<BR>James<BR>James Grebe   Piano Tuning & Repair   Member of M.P.T.<BR>R.P.T. of the P.T.G. for over 30 years.   "Member of the Year" in 1989<BR>   Creator of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups, Piano Benches, Writing <BR>Instruments<BR></DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <BR>From: "Robin Hufford" <hufford1@airmail.net><BR>Subject: Re: 9 Foot Kimball<BR>>     There were, in fact, two Chickerings in the main auditiorium, along <BR>> with<BR>> the organ,   in Atlantic City, originally, as Thump indicates.  The organ <BR>> here<BR>> is the largest in the world with over 33,000 pipes.  .    One piano was <BR>> placed<BR>> in the wind chamber, out of view,  and was played  remotedly using  the <BR>> organ<BR>> keyboard, by a system of relays, a reproducing mechanism and a large <BR>> wiring<BR>> harness.  The other was the stage piano and was visible as such.<BR>>     Attached to the enormous hall there,  is also  a second facility which <BR>> was<BR>> a ballroom, also huge and containing, again, another enormous organ, not <BR>> as<BR>> large as the one in the main hall, but enormous nevertheless which also <BR>> could<BR>> operate a piano.  .  I believe it is considered to be something of a<BR>> theater-type organ, although I don't understand these distinctions, and <BR>> have<BR>> read it described as the largest, again, of its type.  .  This was built <BR>> by WW<BR>> Kimball.  Similarly to the main organ it also had functionally attached to <BR>> it a<BR>> concert grand which could be played from the keyboard.  .  This is the <BR>> Kimball<BR>> concert grand.<BR>> Regards, Robin Hufford<BR>>> ><BR>>> > --- Dave Davis <davistunes@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>>> ><BR>>> >> I got a call to go take a look at a 9 foot Kimball.<BR>>> >> The potential buyer & seller couldn't find a serial<BR>>> >> number, looks like the plate has been painted, and<BR>>> >> they looked in the *normal* spots I could think of<BR>>> >> over the phone...under keybed, soundboard, etc.<BR>>> >> Anyone have any other thoughts where secret Kimball<BR>>> >> serial numbers might be located?<BR>>> >><BR>>> >> Also, any info on when and how many 9'ers might have<BR>>> >> been made? A colleague says he saw one in LA about<BR>>> >> 25 years ago.<BR>>> >><BR>>> >> Dave Davis, RPT<BR></DIV></div></body></html>