The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

estott wrote:

edisonphonoworks wrote:The reproducer is of pot metal, and usually there is little cracks by the screw holes, also the reproducer has an isolating rubber, and that is usually rotted, and making a replacement can be a challenge. They have Motor of Quality motors in them. Kimball was a well known maker of reed organs, and pianos, they are nice looking machines, I have one.

Cases were what they did best- their upright pianos look spectacular, but the interior quality isn't great.

Yes. I have seen some quartered white-oak veneer Kimball upright pianos in some of the older schools around Wilkes-Barre, PA... stunning to look at, but not the greatest instruments in the world...

That does look like nice oak. Just be aware that many Kimball models used a faux grain to simulate highly figured oak. I'll admit, the close-up of the inside lid area looks "real", but I'd still be skeptical about the rest of the cabinet.

"Our pianos are done in an Oak Finish, Mahogany Finish and Walnut Finish. Our Mahogany finish is especially nice". I have an old Kimball piano ad that says that about their cabinets. Usually though, I've found the oak pianos to usually be oak and the other two finishes to be grained. But oddball pieces of the oak pianos will be grained, so you have to be careful about refinishing them. I have no idea about their phonograph cabinets as I've never refinished one. A good friend of mine is a piano tuner and he says that "Kimball should have been fined for littering" Haha! But he was mostly talking about the post WWII efforts. Nice looking cabinet though on the phonograph. I would guess that most of the cabinet is oak and the applied carving is not.

EarlH wrote: I would guess that most of the cabinet is oak and the applied carving is not.

Kimball pianos used a lot of cast composition ornament. It is pretty obvious on this one: