The Krell Piano Company of Cincinnati was somewhat of a pioneer in the field of American Piano Building. Instruments by Krell were costly and made of high quality, and their designs were generally very advanced for their time.
This beautiful Quarter Sawn Oak baby grand piano from the Turn-Of-The-Century era is very unique for a number of reasons:
First, it is a small 4’10” Apartment Size Baby Grand built in 1904 – small Apartment Size Baby Grand pianos did not become popular until the ‘teens and ‘twenties era, making this one of the earliest Apartment Size Baby Grand pianos we’ve ever had in our collection.
Second, the piano is made of “Mission” or “Craftsman” style Quarter Sawn Oak Wood. Nearly all baby grand and grand pianos are made darker exotic woods like Mahogany, Rosewood, Burl Walnut, etc. We estimate that only about 3% of baby grand and grand pianos from this period were made of Quarter Sawn Oak wood. Grand and baby grand pianos made of Quarter Sawn Oak wood are virtually non-existent today, making them impossible to find.
The fact this piano is made of “Mission” style Quarter Sawn Oak identifies this piano as the “Arts & Crafts” or “Craftsman” style. The Arts & Crafts movement was based on simplicity in design and construction, and most Craftsman style furniture was made of Mission oak. Because the Arts & Crafts movement was such an extreme change from traditional period styles, piano manufactures were very slow to adapt. Very few manufacturers went to the time and expense of adding Craftsman style pianos to their line. By the time these few makers added Craftsman design pianos to their product line, the Arts & Crafts movement seemed to fade away almost as quickly as it came. As a result, Craftsman style pianos are exceedingly rare today.
Last but not least, this piano has an exceptional tone quality making it sound much larger than it really is.
This piano a rare chance for a Mission/Arts & Crafts Enthusiast to acquire a genuine Craftsman style baby grand piano. The instrument is being restored to like new condition, inside and out, and the musical quality will be comparable to any better quality new baby grand piano.
If desired, this piano can be equipped with the Pianomation player system, and can play by itself by streaming music live on an iPod, computer, iPad, etc.
An authentic matching piano bench is included.