Expert: Thomas Britanyak - 10/3/2006

Question
thank you for the quick response- i was actually looking more for the information on how i would find the original color(varnish and stain color) where i could locate parts and supplies, i plan on doing the work myself, i just need the original specs? but all i have found is a range of years it could have been made- and that it was assembled by a sub company, no archive i have found gives any specs, and the baldwin site is pretty exclusive to new products.

i hope i am not making what i am trying to express difficult to understand, thanks again for your help.
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Followup To

Question -
hello, i actually aquired a piano today with a great deal of luck, after going over it ive found that it needs to be tuned, refinished, and cleaned, but as i search the web looking for the manufacturer to locate a price range of the piano, parts for it, im finding it harder and harder to be able to locate anything for it, it says on it (inside) that it is a ellington, but the only other thing i have found is the serial number, how do i locate the information on this piano to return it to its original beauty.
any help would be great thank you.



Answer -
Hello Matt!  Thank you for the question.  The Ellington was actually a Baldwin product.  As a general rule, original piano manufacturers do not restore old instruments.  For this you would go to a piano restoration company.  There are many good restorers around but be sure to do your homework and contact the BBB and ask for references...lots of them and follow up on evey one of them.

Some helpful websites:

http://www.ptg.org/
http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/agese.htm#ELLINGTON
http://www.vintagepianoshop.com/identify.cfm
http://www.pianoexchange.com/history_form.html
http://www.pianofinders.com/services/brandnameresearch.htm  

Answer
For parts, supplies and additional information check out:

http://www.pianosupply.com/ips/#40
http://www.balaams-ass.com/piano/piano.htm
http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/yourc.html

Because chemical formulation changes from time to time it is highly unlikely you will be able to locate an exact finish replacement.  I suggest you take a sample of the finish to a restoration company, commercial finish shop or paint specialist company for analysis.  Some companies have spectrum analyzers which may be helpful in choosing a color match.