Sell my Bechstein piano

A 6ft 7in Model B satinwood and painted art cased grand piano, decorated with panels depicting cherubs and female classical figures. The cabinet for this piano is by Waring & Gillow. This instrument is fitted with a piano disc system.

Condition Report:

LOT 39 – BECHSTEIN MODEL B GRAND

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PIANO IS FITTED WITH A PIANO DISC SYSTEM – ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON AND FLASHING BUT WE CANNOT MAKE IT ACTUALLY PLAY.  THE SYSTEM IS A RELATIVELY NEW ONE BUT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED.

Casework:  Is good, in what I would describe as aristocratic condition – there are small areas of damage to various parts of the gesso decoration.  There is a piece of moulding with a rosette, currently missing from the back, but it is present with the piano.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are acceptable – there are one or two new bass strings – the rest look original.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are in generally good condition – they are ivory and there are two keys that have a small amount of damage.

Hammers and Action:  The action, is as the rest of the piano, it seems solid and wholesome.

General Notes:  This piano is a wonderful looking thing that just needs a tiny amount of restoration work to bring it back to its former glory.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A 4ft 8in grand piano in a figured mahogany case on square tapered legs.

Condition Report:

LOT 48 – BECHSTEIN LONDON GRAND

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PIANO HAS A LOOSE LEG AT THE TAIL END AND INDEED AT THE BASS END AND THIS MAY WELL NEED ATTENTION.

Casework:  Is acceptable but a little in areas, particularly on the bass side.  A little faded.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are good.  There is a little bit of gilding breakdown on the frame but this is having no effect whatsoever on the sound.  There is evidence of a little moth on the bearing cloth at the front.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are ivory and are in good condition but could do with a little clean.

Hammers and Action:  Are good.  However, as with all pianos of this age, a hammer shape would not go amiss. 

General Notes:  With a bit of polish work, a bit of regulation and a tuning, this has the potential to be a very nice piano.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A 4ft 8in grand piano in an ebonised case on square tapered legs; together with a stool.

Condition Report:

LOT 62 – BECHSTEIN  LONDON GRAND

Casework:  Is acceptable but tired in certain areas.  There are a haze of scratched areas and a little bit of polish breakdown in various places.  This piano will need cardboard spacers at the top of the legs for a symmetrical fit.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are good but dirty – there is a lot of dust.  This piano could do with a really good clean. 

Keys and Keyboard:  Are good.  Again, a little dirty and could do with a good clean.

Hammers and Action: Are acceptable but the hammers are very squared and could do with a re-shape.  Please also note that there is evidence of a little moth on the front bearing cloth.

General Notes: This is a nice piano that has the capacity to become an even better one with a little work.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A 4ft 8in grand piano in a figured mahogany case on square tapered legs; together with a stool.

Condition Report:

LOT 82 – BECHSTEIN LONDON GRAND

Casework:  Is acceptable, although there are areas of fade and polish breakdown, particularly to the bass side, and there are scratches to various places, most noticeably the music rests.  This piano will need cardboard spacers at the top of the legs for a symmetrical fit.

Frame and Soundboard: Are good – everything looks wholesome and solid.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are ivory – in generally good condition but there are one or two keys which have chips to the front, numbering three in total.

Hammers and Action:  Are generally good.  The hammers could do with a little shaping as they are squared in the upper treble.

General Notes: This has the potential to be a nice piano.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

An 85-note 6ft Model A grand piano in an ebonised case on square tapered legs.

Condition Report:

LOT 102 – BECHSTEIN MODEL A GRAND

Casework:  Is generally tired but the polish has broken down completely on the bass side.  There are scratches to the top surface, although the top lid is acceptable, as is the fold back part, but there are scratches and there is polish breakdown.  No significant areas of impact damage but there are one or two pieces of missing veneer – one on the rim at the treble end and the legs have got one or two nicks and dings and dents but the most obvious polish deficiency is the bass side where the polish has completely broken down.  One of the supports at the back of the music rest is missing, so whilst the music rest is functional it is only supported by one of the stands that lock in to the toothed affair at the back of the music rest rail.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are good, although the piano does display the beginnings of the crack that the Model A is famous for that we suspect appeared the moment the piano was strung at the factory and is nothing to worry about.  The pins are recent.  This piano has been re-strung at some point in the last 20 or 30 years.  There is a very faint crack in the exposed plank in the upper treble but this is not a cause for concern – the pins are holding in this area.

Keys and Keyboard:  The keyboard is dirty – ivory, but basically in sound condition.  One note in the middle has a crack, so the G above middle C has a crack in it.

Hammers and Action:  The action looks to be good.  The hammers are rather squared and would undoubtedly benefit from a shaping.

General Notes:  This piano is in acceptable condition but needs one or two things doing to it, most notably the case.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A Model 7 upright piano in a burr walnut case.

Condition Report:

LOT 107 – BECHSTEIN MODEL 7 UPRIGHT

Casework:  Looks to be in original condition but that condition is good.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are generally good.  There are a few very faint splits in the soundboard but these are not to be worried about – they are not having any effect on the way the piano plays.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are ivory and in good condition.

Hammers and Action:  Are good but could probably now do with a certain amount of re-build work.  There is a distinct rattling coming from certain notes when the piano is played with vigour and this may be an indication that the time is ripe for action re-build work.

General Notes:  This is potentially a nice piano.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A 4ft 8in grand piano in an ebonised case on square tapered legs.

Condition Report:

LOT 108 – BECHSTEIN LONDON GRAND

Casework:  Is in generally good condition, although there is a little reticulation (i.e. break-up of the polish) on the top lid and there are one or two rubbed areas – areas where the polish has come away, to the side of the piano.  Please note: the legs are firmly attached but there needs to be some spacers added to the top of the legs in order to make them fit evenly – they are slightly out of kilter - twisted is the best way of putting it.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are good.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are very good.  This is an ivory keyboard in very good condition.

Hammers and Action:  Are good.  The hammers are a little squared and could do with a shape but this is a nice sounding piano and plays very evenly.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A Vertegrand upright piano in a rosewood case.

Condition Report:

LOT 118 – BECHSTEIN MODEL 8 UPRIGHT

Casework:  Is good and looks like it has been repolished at some point in the last 30 or 40 years – it is an open grained finish.

Frame and Soundboard:  Look good but there are shakes around the bass pins and indeed laying a lever on one of the pins, it did feel as if it was yielding too easily, so there is a suspicion of one or two loose pins in the bass.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are generally good – ivory material.

Hammers and Action:  Are good.

General Notes:  This is potentially a nice piano.  A good size, but it may well be that the bass pins need some attention.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A Model 9 upright piano in an ebonised case.

Condition Report:

LOT 126 – BECHSTEIN UPRIGHT

PLEASE NOTE: IS A MODEL 9

Casework:  Is in good condition.  A few of the scratches that you expect with high gloss finishes.  This looks to have been refinished within the last 20 to 30 years and has been done to a good standard and very much in-keeping with the character of the piano.

Frame and Soundboard:   Look good.  The pins look to have been replaced at some point in the fairly recent past, I would say possibly within the last 30 years, and everything looks good.  This is an exposed plank and there are one or two rusty pins but there appears to be no splits.  The piano is playing nicely.

Keys and Keyboard:  Is a modern plastics keyboard with one odd replacement – a slightly darker colour, and two cracks, there is a little damage to some of the keytops but they are not moving, so four in total.

Hammers and Action:  The action has enjoyed a re-build at some point.  The hammers are good – there is one stranger, one odd hammer, in the lower treble but this is having no effect on the overall sound. 

General Notes:  This is quite a good piano and it sounds and plays nicely.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.

A 7ft 4in Model C grand piano in an ebonised case on square tapered legs; this piano is not on an 'A' frame. This piano has been restored in the recent past.

Condition Report:

LOT 137 – BECHSTEIN MODEL C GRAND

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PIANO IS NOT ON AN ‘A’ FRAME

Casework:  Is generally tired.  There is polish loss, there are scratches, particularly on the bass side where the loss is most noticeable.

Frame and Soundboard:  Are very good.  This piano has obviously been internally restored to a very high standard, and recently.

Keys and Keyboard:  Are in acceptable condition but there are chips to three or four of the keys, there is yellowing and there is a rather clumsy repair in the middle of the keyboard but none of this detracts from the fact that this is a nice piano.

Hammers and Action:  Are likewise with the interior, very good indeed.

General Notes:  This is a beautiful sounding piano.  It just needs case work.

This report is based on a cursory examination and is our opinion only.  It does not constitute a guarantee and potential buyers should satisfy themselves about the lot before bidding.

Buyers Premium: 24% incl. VAT

More pictures of this lot will be uploaded on Thursday 8 December.

Specific photographs, videos & condition report are available on request.