Haines Brothers' Pianos

Haines Brothers' Piano History

The_Haines_Brothers_Piano_History.pdf

The book, to the left, is accessible in .pdf format, just click on link below the cover page or click on the Book Cover itself.

It gives a lot of history of the industry of Haines Bros. Piano Co. and how the owner, Napoleon J. Haines, started his company from nothing.

Below are a collage of pictures showing the before and after views of the steps of my piano during its restoration. Many people will have both the inside and the outside restored, but I decided to just have the inside restored.

Having your piano restored should always be a well thought decision. If I could give you any advice, it would be to have an extremely knowledgeable and reliable piano tuner to evaluate your piano thoroughly prior making this choice and/or investment. There is a big difference between the older pianos and the new pianos made today, basically because the wood from years ago is much stronger and durable than the wood today. Also, there is a seasoning and aging process of the wood that is required to produce a good solid piano; especially in creating the soundboard.

I learned a lot from my piano tuner, as well as the people who restored my piano. The one step that amazed me was regarding the sound board. We often assume the knowledge and concept of the creation of a great instrument like a piano by seeing the end result. But surprisingly I learned so much more. Such as, I never knew that the sound board was not a straight piece of layers of wood, but it was purposely shaped to have a convex shape. Why, because it is necessary for the tightening of the piano strings, which pull the soundboard into a straight or flat appearance during the tuning process. That is why the bridges are important on a piano which raise the strings above the convex shaped soundboard; the same is with a violin or any string instrument; as you can see on one of the photos below. Hopefully, this information will give you a better understanding why it is so essential to have seasoned durable wood to create a great reliable instrument.

Watching my piano being restored gave me such an appreciation and knowledge of what is entailed in the art of such work that is put into creating such an instrument.

Regarding the restoration, most of the photos above on the upper LEFT are the photos BEFORE the restoration, and on the RIGHT are the photos AFTER the piano was restored.

The photos at the directly BELOW were taken during it restoration.

Shown in the photo above, I made a 30" (1 meter) lid prop with a 12 " grand brass lid arm in case I do want to lower the lid without closing it completely. The piano originally came with a 12" (30 cm) lid prop, but I found that I enjoy the fuller sound with the lid open to a higher height.

Since I enjoy leaving the lid open, the photo below shows a felt cover which keeps the dusts from accumulating on the strings and sound board and helps to keep the iron frame to hold its high polished brass finish.

Directly above is a photo showing the soundboard with the bridges and the open space for the hammer action of the keyboard and then to the far right is the pin board. The pin board consists of layers of solid seasoned wood that is glued together and the holes for the pins were taken from the original pin board used as an exact pattern for original stringing purposes.

In the photo to the LEFT is a close-up of the pin board with the “newly stamped” original serial number.

The photo above is the finished product after the new strings were strung and also after five (5) tunings. As you can see, the soundboard appears to be flat.

Another interesting factor about the Haines Brothers' Pianos, as you look at the photo above, is it was the only piano company that made an iron frame with extra holes and that the frame totally surrounds the inter wooden frame of the grand piano, which allows for reinforced strength and to produce more sound.

Of course, the beautiful part is the end result. Now after the numerous tunings, the strings have stretched, stabilized and are holding their pitch and the sound of my piano is amazing. The resonance's of the bass, mid and high tones are heavenly. It is such a joy to sit and listen to your own compositions, as well as other musical arrangements.

Again, if you have an older piano it is definitely worth the investment to have your piano restored. Over a period of time the strings and hammers become worn and need to be restored. In the first sentence of this paragraph I used the word “investment” and having restoration done on your piano will definitely increase the value. But as I have shared, it is always wise to have an experienced and knowledgeable piano tuner to evaluate the piano thoroughly prior making this choice.

In the book I had published (which is also attached to this web site in .pdf format) there are accounts describing the origin of their piano business that are not consistent with recent research regarding The Haines Brothers Company. One important fact however, does remain consistent throughout all my research: Haines Brothers Pianos are of extremely high quality, as illustrated in the excerpt cited below.

“Since its establishment, the Haines Bros. piano has been one of the leading high grade and artistic pianos. It remained, however, for the present day piano to attain its greatest eminence (highest reputation). The name of Haines Bros. has been of powerful influence in the trade and commands a higher regard today than at any previous time in its history. The present line of Haines Bros. pianos, both grands and uprights, and player-pianos embody everything that is required in the way of quality. The Haines Bros. piano has become known as the official college piano by reason of there being, in all probability, more Haines Bros. pianos in actual use in the most representative conservatories and Institutions of musical learning in this country than any other piano. All of these pianos were selected and purchased by these institutions after severe and critical tests. The Haines Bros. piano has been for many years a favorite with many of the world's most famous artists. The list of artists runs into the hundreds and would tabulate here like a musical directory, but space prohibits its insertion. Two interesting and important books have been published in the interest of the Haines Bros. Piano, “The Artist's Choice,” containing a portrait” of famous artists with their testimonials, and “Golden Opinions” with hundreds of letters from colleges, conservatories, and other institutions of learning.”

Thank you for taking the time to explore and learn of the history about the Haines Brothers Piano Company.

A true lover of my Haines Bros. Concert Grand Piano,

By: J. D. Snook