l958

Samick Musical Instruments was established. Samick has grown into the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in Korea, and is now the world's largest piano company. They only started making upright pianos in 1960 and grands in 1970.

l959

The Challen company ceased independent manufacture of their pianos, with the name going to the Brasted brothers at first, then later to Barratt & Robinson.

l959

British Piano Actions Ltd., London, passed control of the company to a consortium of six:

Paling & Co. Ltd., of Austria

Heintzman & Co. Ltd. of Canada

Pratt, Read & Co., of America

The Bothner Polliack Group of Companies of South Africa

Beale & Co. of Australia

Alfred Knight & Co. of London

Three years earlier a receiver had been appointed for British Piano Actions Ltd. Five months before the take-over the unsecured creditors received the offer of three shillings in the pound. British Piano Actions Ltd. transferred production from London to Llanelli, South Wales, which was classed as a distressed area, where there was need to create opportunities for employment and much needed grants. On the 10th of March 1982 British Piano Actions were again put into the hands of the receiver.

l960

Yamaha produced two thousand two hundred pianos a month.

1960

On July 1Oth, Lindner, a subsidiary of Rippen of Holland, opened in Ireland. The pianos produced were revolutionary; aluminium alloy welded frames were introduced reducing the weight by about half that of a cast frame. Plastics were used more widely for action parts and keys. There were flanges for the whippen and hammer, and dampers were clipped onto the rail rather than fixed with screws as is the normal way of fixing them.

1962

Steinway introduced Teflon as a bushing material on all New York built grands and it was used until 1982.

1963

Kawai America was established, followed by Kawai Europe, Canada, Australia, and Asia.

1963

On show at the Frankfurt Fair was a Herrburger Brooks Schwander action, with a brass sleeve, lined with P.T.F.E. plastic bushing instead of a cloth bushing. The Amber Light Engineering Co. supplied this brass plastic bushing.

1963

The Leeds piano competition was formed in the UK.

1963

Rogers was acquired by Zenders.

1964

Kembles acquired John Brinsmead and Cramer Pianos.

1965

Barratt & Robinson Ltd. purchased Nathaniel Berry Pianos.

1966

Jasper Corp. acquired Bösendorfer.

1967

Herrburger Brooks stopped making the spring and loop action for grands. A useful date as many small grands used this action.

1968

Herrburger Brooks moved from London to Long Eaton.

1971

Kemble took on UK distribution of Yamaha pianos and musical instruments.

1971

Pleyel and Gaveau pianos were made by Schimmel from 1971 to 1994. In 1994 production moved back to France and new designs were introduced using Langer and Renner actions.

1972

Blüthner was nationalized by the East German government.

1973

The foundry equipped to produce iron frames for Barratt seemed to be on the verge of closing, so Barratt & Robinson bought the firm to guarantee their future supply of frames.

1974

Baldwin of the US acquired all of the shares of Bechstein.

1974

Knight introduced a fibre bushing for the wrest pins (tuning pins) which is said to have a holding pressure of 30,000 lbs., compared to traditional wood bushings which only took a tension of 6,000 lbs.

1975

At the Frankfurt International Spring Fair, a new 4' 6" grand piano was shown. It was in mahogany, with a satin polyester finish, and called the Alfred Knight in honour of the late Alfred Knight.

1978