Hoiles Piano

Thursday, January 9, 2014

A beautiful Steinway looking for a loving home.

1906 Steinway Grand Piano For Sale

This is a 1906 Steinway Grand Piano, Model B, manufactured in Hamburg, West Germany. The beautiful case, constructed out of ribbon mahogany, is 6'11" long. Manufacturer's number is 121,756. In 1990, before its recent cosmetic restoration, it appraised for $32,000.

We had it evaluated in 2005 by James L. Cox of Suttons Bay, Michigan. He rated and described it as follows:

Soundboard: A

Bass Bridge: A

Tenor and Treble Bridge: A-

Pinblock: A-

Strings have minor rust, very minor.

Action is mildly sluggish. This can be remedied by minor action work, repinning or reaming Teflon bushing as needed. Minor action adjustments needed.

Piano has a beautiful deep Steinway tone.

A worthy piano for any home or stage.

We are asking $27,500 for this wonderful piano. Does not include moving costs.

Here are the "after" photos from the piano's recent cosmetic restoration:

Here are a few "before" photos, to illustrate its transformation:

And a couple of "during" photos. It was quite the process!

Piano History

This piano was built in 1906 in Hamburg, Germany. Its history from 1906 to 1967 is largely unknown. Samuel and Mary Hoiles, of Douglaston, New York, found the piano in a church basement and purchased it. It was fully restored in 1967 by Wolfgang Staub. From the 1967 repair invoice:

Steinway grand piano, model B, 6'11" in mahogany case, manufacturer's number 121756, completely refinished including new "diaphragmatic" soundboard, new pin block, new strings, and new genuine Steinway action parts.

This piano was loved and played by the couple for many years, making its way from Douglaston, NY, to Torch Lake, MI.

This piano is now owned by Samuel's son, Samuel Hoiles III, of Rapid City, Michigan. It has recently undergone a cosmetic restoration: the lid was repaired, all the wooden surfaces of the piano were restored, all the brass was polished, and lacquer was applied.

Due to its age and nature, there are a few small imperfections that show its long history. It is a gorgeous instrument that produces a rich, memorable sound.

Hoiles History

Samuel Harrison Hoiles II was born in 1911 into the Alliance, Ohio, branch of the Hoiles family. Sisters Mary and Evelyn Stahler, also of Alliance, went to school with Samuel. Music brought them together; Mary tutored Samuel in schoolwork, and their deep love of classical piano flourished into romance.

After graduating high school, all three moved to New York to study classical music at the Diller-Quaile School of Music in Manhattan, New York. After they completed their studies, Samuel and Mary married. They continued at Diller-Quaile as educators. They later furthered their study of classical music under Julius Herford for many years. Samuel served as a medic in WWII. The couple settled in Douglaston, New York, after the war and raised a family, moving the family to Torch Lake, Michigan, in 1967.