1840

Antoine-Jean Bord of Paris (1814-1888), started making pianos. At one time they were the largest manufacturer in France with a production of 4,000 instruments.

1840

J. and C. Fischer started making pianos in New York, USA.

1842

The organ of St. Nicholas in Newcastle-upon-Tyne was tuned to equal temperament. This is believed to have been the first organ to be tuned in equal temperament in England.

1842

John Pottie made a piano with two soundboards. Each soundboard had thirteen ribs to support it, and sound was transmitted from the top soundboard to the bottom soundboard by means of a second bridge.

1842

George Russell was established in London. The last known address for the company was at 2 Stanhope St., London. From about 1936 Cramer made the pianos, and serial numbers after that date are from Cramer. An example from 1939 would be number 128750,and an earlier one from around 1900 would be number 16499.

1842

Strich & Ziedler, New York, USA, was established.

1843

Bord of Paris used the tasto bar, which was a type of pressure bar.

1843

George Rogers of London was founded. Later Bechstein commissioned them to build London-made Bechstein pianos in the early 1890s. Rogers merged with Hopkinson in 1918, and both were taken over by Zender in 1963.

1843

The Co-Op was founded on 1st December at Toad Lane, Rochdale. Roughly six years later the first piano was sold to a man using his profits from the "divi." The sight of a piano being carried into a cottage had never been seen before in Rochdale. The Co-Op became a piano manufacturer and sold pianos under the names of Amyl, Amylette, and Co-Op. The production factory was in Birmingham.

1844

Schwander opened his piano action factory. His son-in-law Herrburger succeeded him and eventually Brooks took over, making it Herrburger Brooks.

1845

Ronisch was established, first in Dresden and later in Leipzig.

1845

Vienna at this time had 108 piano makers.

1846

On August 26 of this year Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah" premiered at the Birmingham Festival, England. Mendelssohn died at the age of 38.

1846

Walter Broadwood directed Mr. Hipkins, the head piano tuner at Broadwood's, that he should instruct their tuners in the use of equal temperament. This was a marketing ploy for Broadwood. Mr. Hipkins was only twenty at the time, and even at the age of eighteen he is known to have been tuning pianos in equal temperament. When Chopin toured England and Scotland in 1848, a Broadwood grand was often hired, costing 20 guineas even in London. Hipkins was the tuner and he preferred to tune in equal temperament, so there is a good chance that the piano used by Chopin was in equal temperament. Chopin was paid 150 guineas for at least one of his recitals, and he commented on how much he liked the sound of the Broadwood piano.

1847

Broadwood grands were fitted with threaded oblong pins which must not be removed or tapped in. They have to be turned three sixteenths of an inch and the coils formed as the pin returns through the three sixteenths of an inch to its original position. Not to be confused with the Wurlitzer metal plank, on which if the pins are too tight you can relieve the tension by easing back on the wedge on the bottom of the pin. To tighten the pins tap the wedges deeper up into the pin.

1847

Gaveau of Paris was estblished. Gaveau pianos generally have nice crafted cases. In 1960, the company merged with Erard and was later absorbed by Schimmel in 1971.

1848

Chickering became Chickering & Sons, USA.

1849

Hazelton Bros., NY, was established.

1850

Most larger grands and uprights had seven octaves, going down to A. That is important because any pianos that don't go down that far, reaching only to C, for example, can be reliably dated to before that time.

1851