9 Foot Kimball

[Dave Davis]

Thanks to everyone who responded. It is fascinates me that collectively there is so much information on this list.
 
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....
 
Take care,
Dave Davis, RPT

"Pianoman" pianoman at accessus.net wrote:
The 9' Chickerings back them were costing $3,000.00 a piece.
James
James Grebe   Piano Tuning & Repair   Member of M.P.T.
R.P.T. of the P.T.G. for over 30 years.   "Member of the Year" in 1989
   Creator of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups, Piano Benches, Writing 
Instruments

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robin Hufford" <hufford1 at airmail.net>
Subject: Re: 9 Foot Kimball
>     There were, in fact, two Chickerings in the main auditiorium, along 
> with
> the organ,   in Atlantic City, originally, as Thump indicates.  The organ 
> here
> is the largest in the world with over 33,000 pipes.  .    One piano was 
> placed
> in the wind chamber, out of view,  and was played  remotedly using  the 
> organ
> keyboard, by a system of relays, a reproducing mechanism and a large 
> wiring
> harness.  The other was the stage piano and was visible as such.
>     Attached to the enormous hall there,  is also  a second facility which 
> was
> a ballroom, also huge and containing, again, another enormous organ, not 
> as
> large as the one in the main hall, but enormous nevertheless which also 
> could
> operate a piano.  .  I believe it is considered to be something of a
> theater-type organ, although I don't understand these distinctions, and 
> have
> read it described as the largest, again, of its type.  .  This was built 
> by WW
> Kimball.  Similarly to the main organ it also had functionally attached to 
> it a
> concert grand which could be played from the keyboard.  .  This is the 
> Kimball
> concert grand.
> Regards, Robin Hufford
>> >
>> > --- Dave Davis <davistunes at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> I got a call to go take a look at a 9 foot Kimball.
>> >> The potential buyer & seller couldn't find a serial
>> >> number, looks like the plate has been painted, and
>> >> they looked in the *normal* spots I could think of
>> >> over the phone...under keybed, soundboard, etc.
>> >> Anyone have any other thoughts where secret Kimball
>> >> serial numbers might be located?
>> >>
>> >> Also, any info on when and how many 9'ers might have
>> >> been made? A colleague says he saw one in LA about
>> >> 25 years ago.
>> >>
>> >> Dave Davis, RPT
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