  Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 5689 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 209.216.150.127 |
Here is today's P.D.J. | ||
Machoken Member Username: Machoken Post Number: 1398 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 207.145.38.104 |
Interesting. I don't recall a crest on my wife's Grinnell piano. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 5690 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 209.216.150.127 |
Machoken, from what I understand, there should have been maybe a small plate? Maybe the crest was inside? I have seen the crest on their printed sheet music. I cannot vouch for pianos... Maybe someone else can chime in. I am only going by what I read. | ||
Rustic Member Username: Rustic Post Number: 2674 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 128.36.14.165 |
Grinnells actually made their own line of pianos in their own factory (their factory was waay up somewhere up hear Frankenmuth, I think). They also made pianos for other regional music stores with labels slapped on for those store brands. I'm not sure if Grinnells sold pianos from other mfg's back in the olden days. The influx of cheep but good japanese pianos combined with the end of families with piano lesson aged baby boomer children in the 70's killed their business model. In the end I believe they stopped selling their own brand of piano. Mrs. Machken's piano might have been purchased toward the end of grinnells run thus no label. | ||
Rustic Member Username: Rustic Post Number: 2675 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 128.36.14.165 |
ok from this link: http://info.detnews.com/histor y/story/index.cfm?id=130&categ ory=business it appears I got a few facts wrong (e.g. the factory was in some place called "Holly" wherever that is) but overall not too bad for recalling off the top of my head, eh? | ||
Dnvn522 Member Username: Dnvn522 Post Number: 127 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 204.24.64.25 |
You've never driven past "Mt. Holly" on I-75? | ||
Machoken Member Username: Machoken Post Number: 1400 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 207.145.38.104 |
I'm going to check tonight but I think our piano was made much earlier than the 70s. We bought it from an old neighbor who was moving to a retirement home a few years back. I want to say it was made in the 20s, but I'm going to check. By the way, we moved it across the state in the back of a Ryder moving van, and it didn't even need to be tuned once we unloaded it. That was pretty surprising! | ||
Rustic Member Username: Rustic Post Number: 2676 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 128.36.14.165 |
When I was a kid we rarely went north of 10 mile (so north of Pontiac might as well have been the dark side of the moon). when I am back in Detroit now I'm almost never much north of Maple Rd. ... too busy playing Mom's piano (nope not a Grinnell's) I guess ... Sounds pretty tho ... "Mt. Holly" sounds like somewhere Santa Claus would go on vacation ... is it nice? Is the piano factory still there? | ||
Dnvn522 Member Username: Dnvn522 Post Number: 128 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 204.24.64.25 |
LOL. You must not be a skier then... http://www.skimtholly.com/dire ctions.asp You can see the ski slopes just east of I-75, and the town of Holly is just west of I-75. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1312 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 66.19.18.81 |
It took me awhile to find the photo, because I misfiled it, but here is the Grinnell Brothers Piano Factory on Jones, between 1st and Cass.  The 1921 Sanborn map for the building.  From 1912-15 the Grinnel Bros also manufactured electric automobiles, which may have been made at this factory. Anyone? They also had a warehouse at 1447 1st and State Sts. | ||
Machoken Member Username: Machoken Post Number: 1403 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.61.100.126 |
Well I can't seem to figure out when the piano was made. I figured I'd find it somewhere, and I pulled the darned thing away from the wall so I could look at the back. I peeked inside and saw 'GRINNELL BROS' embedded in whatever you call the metal slab that the strings are attached too. Another indication of it being Grinnell is much easier to find:  The only other thing I found was '993' engraved inside the piano. Not sure if that means much of anything other than possibly that it was the 993rd piano of that model that was made. But, no family crest. Maybe like Rustic said it was made toward the end of Grinnell's run, or perhaps it is simply a lower end piano - it's just a small upright. Very nicely built though, and at one time it had a beautiful finish, you can see the original finish if you lift up the music stand. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 5694 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.70.116.159 |
I think it means that is was made in 993 a.d.  Maybe what I heard was wrong... that's possible too... | ||
Urbanvaquero Member Username: Urbanvaquero Post Number: 308 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 12.75.22.212 |
I played a Grinnell back in the day. Beautiful sounding instrument, and hardly ever needed tuning. It was an upright. I took it apart one day to look at the inner workings and the crest in the mausoleum photo did appear on the stringboard, or whatever the hell one calls it. I don't know if it appeared here on all of their pianos, but you might check there, M'Ken. --Brenda | ||
Machoken Member Username: Machoken Post Number: 1406 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.61.100.126 |
Thanks. I did look on the stringboard, unfortunately the piano is quite compact (I wish I knew the appropriate language to use...). I'd say it's a compact upright? Anyway, it's so compact that you can only see the top 12 inches or so of the string board. It's quite possible that the string board does have the crest on it, but I just can't see it. I found this image of a Grinnell on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Grinnell-B ros-Upright-Piano_W0QQitemZ130 003906077QQihZ003QQcategoryZ43 377QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayph otohosting Notice that one of the pictures that you can blow up says 'Grinnell Bros Detroit Windsor'. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4089 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
Thanks Hornwrecker and AIW, Rustic. Great comments. Good pictures. The Grinnell grave site is pure Chicago Prairie style of Louis Sullivan in design. It looks more Sullivanesque than the master hisself. Was Sullivan involved? jjaba. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4090 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
Jeeezes, AIW, spell the man's name right. Grinnell. AIW needs to take his time when we prints up a post. jjaba, printer. |
