Do you have a Richard lipp and Sons Player piano (pianola)?

Question

Hi
Im trying to found out more information about this type of Grand piano and player piano.Do you own one and can share information about it?
Many thanks Daniel.

Answer 1

I do not own one, but I can tell you that these pianos were manufactured in Stuttgart, Germany from 1875 to 1976. I assume they went out of business at that point. The Bentley Piano Company (England) produced then under license from 1985 to 1993, when that license was transferred to Whelpdale, Maxwell and Codd of London. They ceased production in 1998 and went into receivership. (went bankrupt). This was the company that produced the venerable and famous Broadwood.

I have seen recent advertisements for Lipp and Sohn on the net -- the model numbers coincide with certain Chinese manufacturers' model numbers -- so it is now a "stencil" piano.
They made roughly 500 units a year from 1875 on -- although this number fluctuated quite a bit. First serial number recorded is 8000, and the last in 1976 was 49098.
If you have a serial number I can tell you its approximate year of manufacture, but I don't know not much more than that. Larry Fine mentions Whelpdale, but not Lipp and Sohn.

I am willing tobet that a good English piano technician will know a great deal more about them than I can find out.

Hope this been a little bit of help.

Answer 2

richard lipp sons player piano pianola

Answer 3

Jerry Lee Lewis