Specifications

Chickering produced pianos for more than 150 years, and during that time, the company sold almost a quarter of a million pianos of different types, models and styles. This page is designed to help you deepen your knowledge of Chickering pianos for future sale, purchase or providence.

Piano Types and Subtypes

In 1823, Chickering only made “Square” pianos, with strings running from left to right. By the late 1840s, Chickering had broadened its offerings to include Upright pianos with strings running from top to bottom, and Grand pianos with strings running from front to back. Here is a breakdown of all the Chickering piano types and subtypes throughout the years:

Square Pianos, which are actually rectangular, were produced until about 1890, but their popularity had been waning since the 1870s. Models made from the 1850s onward were approximately 6½’ wide and 3½’ deep. The earliest models were smaller and didn’t have iron plates. Few if any square pianos had 88 keys, a standard that was not adopted until the late 1880s. Square pianos are considered antiques.
Upright Pianos have dominated the home market since the second half of the 19^th century. The Traditional Upright stands approximately 5½’ tall and 2½’ deep. Chickering started manufacturing uprights in the 1830s, and they became the most common piano type from the 1870s until well into the 20^th century.
The Console became popular after World War II. Typical Console pianos stand between 3’ and 4’ tall. The term “Studio Piano” is often used to describe slightly taller consoles and the term “Spinet Pianos” is often used to describe shorter consoles.
Grand Pianos have been produced in assorted sizes since the 1840s.
A Concert Grand, or 9’ Grand, is the largest of the grand pianos and is designed for a concert hall or other large venue. Early grand pianos were straight-strung, so they needed to be longer to accommodate the full length of the bass strings. Chickering’s longest piano was 9’2”. However, when cross-stringing became the norm, concert grands became a little smaller. Most of the late 19^th and early 20^th century Chickering concert grands were shorter than 9’.
A Semi-Concert Grand is approximately 7½’ long and was meant for a small concert hall, church, school, or larger home.
A Parlor Grand is approximately 6½’ long and was meant for a home with a large music room. Ironically, some of Chickering’s old shipping ledgers refer to this instrument as a “small” piano.
The Quarter Grand was introduced at the start of the 20^th century. At approximately 5½’, it works well in a smaller home.
The Petite Quarter Grand, or Baby Grand was also introduced at the start of the 20^th century and became the most popular sized grand piano. Chickering made these instruments in varying lengths throughout the years, ranging from 4’10” to 5’4”.

Year of Manufacturer and Serial Numbers:

Chickering assigned a serial number to their pianos before they left the factory. Therefore, the serial number reveals a piano’s age. The first Chickering piano made in 1823 would have had the serial number 1; the last Chickering piano made by Baldwin in the 1990s would have had a serial number of around 250000. Here are the serial numbers and corresponding manufacturing dates:

Year	Serial Number
1824	100
1825	316
1830	716
1835	1980
1840	4235
1845	6490
1850	10000
1855	15400
1860	22000
1865	27000
1870	35500
1875	46000
1880	55500
1885	70000
1890	78500
1895	85000

Year	Serial Number
1900	93000
1905	105000
1910	115000
1920	132500
1925	139700
1930	148400
1935	155200
1940	167200
1950	195000
1955	204000
1960	212750
1965	221117
1970	230300
1975	237578
1980	245989

From the 1920s until the 1940s, Chickering started to use a separate set of serial numbers for their large grands, which include both the Scale 131 and Scale 141 pianos. Those concert grand serial numbers range from 14000 to 16000.

Where to Look for a Serial Number:

In the 1860s, serial numbers were stamped onto soundboards, but by the late 19^th Century, serial numbers were being stamped onto the iron plates. Often, the serial numbers appeared in black ink on the front part of the plate near the tuning pins. Sometimes the numbers were stamped on the side of one of the struts.

You should be able to find the serial number by visually scanning the plate. If your piano has been refinished in the past, you may see that the serial number has been painted over. A piano technician might be able to uncover the original serial number by gently rubbing areas where a serial number would usually go with a cotton ball and some paint thinner. However, it is easier to look for the serial number elsewhere. Technicians often wrote the serial number down in pencil on the inside of the case where the action tray sits. In some cases, the serial number was written on the action tray itself. You can also check the top of the legs and lyre but be careful not to confuse a serial number having five or six digits with a case number, which only has 4 digits. Unless you have an exceptionally old piano dating from before the Civil War, a 4-digit number you might see on a piano part is not a serial number.

Model or Scale Numbers:

Chickering called their piano models “Scales” and a piano’s scale number refers to the piano’s engineering design, which is a function of its iron plate configuration, string length and string thickness. Scale numbers were assigned sequentially. For example, the Scale 132 Upright Piano was designed right after the Scale 131 Grand Piano. Chickering was so proud of its engineering designs that it started to cast the Scale numbers into the iron plates. In many cases, you only need to look at the piano’s plate for the Scale number to figure out what model it is.

In addition to creating novel designs, Chickering made minor modifications to existing designs and these modifications were denoted by adding a trailing letter to the Scale number. Thus, Scale 110B signified a slight modification to Scale 110, not an entirely new design.

On older models from the 1870s and 1880s, the Scale number might appear in raised letters under the bass strings. By the 1890s, however, the Scale number appeared prominently on the right-hand side of the plate under a Chickering medal of honor. The Anderson Plate Scale 121 and Scale 123 pianos show the Scale number on the front part of the plate just below the treble tuning pins. Scale 122 pianos show the Scale number along the bass strut. It is often easier to find these Scale numbers with the music desk taken off.

Not all scales were used for production runs. Some scales were never built and others were only used to make a handful of prototype pianos. The following is a list of Chickering scales used for larger production runs from the 1860s to 1908:

Chickering Square Piano Scales

Scale 17	??-1865
Scale 23	1863-1864
Scale 23	1868-1868
Scale 36	1865-1866
Scale 48	??-1866
Scale 49	??-1866
Scale 50	1866-1891
Scale 50B	Unknown
Scale 51	1866-1867
Scale 51B	1867-1887
Scale 51C	1873-1892
Scale 51D	1885-1891

Chickering Upright Piano Scales

Scale 57	1871-1872
Scale 58	1871-1872
Scale 60	1870-1876
Scale 60B	1874-1875
Scale 60C	1874-1876
Scale 60D	1874-1877
Scale 62	1871-1872
Scale 63	1871-1875
Scale 64	1871-1881
Scale 67	1874-1887
Scale 67B	1885-1895
Scale 67BB	1891-1900+
Scale 67C	1888-1888
Scale 67D	1891-1891
Scale 68	1872-1877
Scale 70	1875-1893
Scale 70B	1892-1897
Scale 70C	1888-1890
Scale 79	1877-1890
Scale 79B	1887-1892
Scale 85	1879-1879
Scale 100	1886
Scale 101	1884-1886
Scale 103	1885-1885
Scale 112	1891-1900+

Chickering Early Grand Piano Scales

Scale 19	1867-1878	Semi-Concert Grand
Scale 19B	1874-1878	Semi-Concert Grand
Scale 33	1862-1872	Concert Grand
Scale 33B	1866-1876	Concert Grand
Scale 33BD	1874-1875	Concert Grand
Scale 33D	1873-1878	Concert Grand
Scale 33E	1874-1884	Concert Grand
Scale 33F	1874-1876	Concert Grand
Scale 46	1867-1875	Parlor Grand
Scale 46B	1874-1881	Parlor Grand
Scale 73	1875-1876	Concert Grand
Scale 74	1876-1877	Concert Grand
Scale 76	1875-1883	Concert Grand
Scale 77	1876-1890	Concert Grand
Scale 80	1877-1879	Concert Grand
Scale 83	1877-1879	Parlor Grand
Scale 84	1878-1879	Semi-Concert Grand
Scale 86	1878-1880	Concert Grand
Scale 87	1879-1882	Parlor Grand
Scale 89	1880-1882	Concert Grand
Scale 90	1881-1883	Parlor Grand
Scale 92	1881-1883	Concert Grand
Scale 93	1881-1887	Parlor Grand
Scale 94	1882-1886	Semi-Concert Grand
Scale 95	1882-1886	Concert Grand
Scale 97	1883-1886	Concert Grand
Scale 97A	1884-1889	Concert Grand
Scale 97B	1883-1887	Concert Grand
Scale 98	1883-1891	Semi-Concert Grand
Scale 105A	1887-1888	Concert Grand
Scale 105B	1886-1896	Concert Grand
Scale 106	1886-1890	Parlor Grand
Scale 109	1888-1891	Parlor Grand (6’3”)
Scale 110	1889-1891	Semi-Concert Grand (7’7”)

Chickering “Golden Age” Piano Scales

Scale 109C	1891-1900+	Parlor Grand Yacht-Tail (6’3”)
Scale 105D	1889-1900+	Concert Grand Yacht-Tail (8’7”)
Scale 110B	1890-1900+	Semi-Concert Grand Yacht-Tail (7’7”)
Scale 116	1900-1910	Parlor Grand Bent-Rim (6’4”)
Scale 119	1900-1910	Semi-Concert Grand Bent-Rim (7’6”)
Scale 121	1901-1920	Quarter Grand Anderson-Plate (5’6”)
Scale 122	1901-1920	Petite Quarter Grand (5’0”)
Scale 123	1901-1920	Parlor Grand (6’4”)
Scale 131	1910-1920	Concert Grand Bent-Rim (8’9”)

After Ampico took over the Chickering brand in 1908, the original Chickering Scales were gradually phased out and, in their place, Ampico introduced a new set of Scales. However, rather than advertising those Scale numbers in prominent places on the plate, Ampico cast them onto the back end of the plate where they would not be noticed as easily. If you have an Ampico-era model, open the lid and walk around to the back of the piano to look for the small numerals. They are usually near the bass string hitch-pins. Here is a listing of Chickering Scales under the Ampico ownership:

Chickering Ampico Grand Pianos

Scale 133	1910-1920	Quarter Grand (5’8”)
Scale 135	1920-1940	Petite Quarter Grand (5’3½”)
Scale 138	1920-1940	Semi-Concert Grand (7’9”)
Scale 141	1920-1940	Concert Grand (8’9”)
Scale 144	1920-1940	Quarter Grand (5’9”)
Scale 145	1920-1940	Quarter Grand (5’8”)
Scale 146	1920-1940	Parlor Grand (6’5”)

Aeolian took control of all the Ampico brands in 1932 and stopped using Scale numbers. Instead, Aeolian began using Model numbers. Here is a listing of some of the models under Aeolian’s ownership. These numbers were not cast into the plate, so you have to determine the model by measuring the piano’s length from the start of the keys to the very back end of the piano:

Chickering Aeolian Grand Pianos

Model 310	1932-1985	Drawing Room Grand (5’9”)
Model 309	1932-1985	Drawing Room Grand (5’8”)
Model 305	1932-1985	Small Grand (5’4½”)
Model 301	1932-1985	Baby Grand (5’1”)

Baldwin bought the Chickering name in 1988 and the models were changed once more. Baldwin seems to have made two different sets of Chickering pianos with two distinct groups of model numbers:

Chickering Baldwin Grand Pianos

Model 509CH	1988-1995	Drawing Room Grand (5’9”)
Model 507CH	1988-1995	Drawing Room Grand (5’7”)
Model 501CH	1988-1995	Baby Grand (5’1”)
Model 410CH	1988-1995	Petite Baby Grand (4’10”)
Model CH162	1988-1995	Petite Quarter (5’4”)
Model CH176	1988-1995	Quarter Grand (5’9”)
Model CH189	1988-1995	Parlor Grand (6’2”)

Cabinetry Styles

Chickering understood that the cosmetic appearance of their pianos was extremely important to buyers and the company went to great lengths to make their pianos attractive and stylish. The company was always willing to make custom designs for buyers who were willing to pay an extra fee, but most of the pianos sold were the standard design for their time. Those standard designs changed as tastes changed:

Chickering originally adopted the Empire style, which was used on both Square and Grand pianos for most of the 1840’s through the 1870’s. Note the straight legs:

Empire legs from the 1840’s through the 1870’s

By the early-1880’s, styles became more ornate and Chickering adopted a rococo design, replacing the older Empire style:

In the late 1880’s, styles changed again, and while some of the more elaborate carvings remained, there was a return to straighter, ‘flowerpot’ legs. Chickering used the term “Style U” for pianos with this kind of cabinetry and it became the standard until about 1894.

Around 1895, most of the Chickering grand pianos came with the company’s famous reeded ‘ice cream’ cone legs. Pianos of this era no longer had carved decoration on their sides but rather a simple decorative molding running along the sides of the piano and ending in a comma shape:

“Reeded Ice Cream Cone” leg from the mid-1890’s to the early-1900s

Around 1906 or 1907, Chickering replaced the reeded ‘ice cream’ cone leg with a fluted one and that design stuck around until the early 1910s.

“Fluted Ice Cream Cone Leg” from the late 1900s

Most pianos made by Chickering up to this point were finished to show off the wood veneer, but by the time Ampico owned Chickering, Steinway’s influence on piano design changed the look of Chickering pianos. The instruments of this era took on a black finish with straight legs.

Chickering Plates:

As the Scales changed, so did the appearance of the Plates. Consequently, it is possible to identify the age of a piano by the look of the plate, which is very useful when the serial number is missing. For example, if you have a newer Chickering piano from the late 1980’s to the 1990’s, the plate will resemble other pianos made and sold by the Baldwin Company.

Chickering Pianos made during the Aeolian period had holes that were geometrically shaped with a triangle shape just above the round Chickering seal.

Ampico used several plates throughout the years. In the later years, the piano had geometric plate holes like the ones used by Aeolian. However, while Aeolian had a single triangular hole above the Chickering seal, Ampico had a couple of styles of plates with several holes above the seal.

During the Golden Age, Chickering had two plate styles. The ones used on the Yacht-Tail and Continuous Bent-Rim pianos featured a large medal of honor:

The Anderson plates had a scoop on the right side, allowing more of the sound board to be exposed.

Chickering Action Parts

A piano has over 10,000 moving parts. When you press down on a key, the front of the key stick moves downward, the back of the key stick moves upward, a damper lifts off the string, a hammer comes up and strikes the string, and everything resets immediately so that you can press down on the note again. All of this is called the action.

Modern piano parts are standardized. However, this kind of standardization was not as prevalent in the 19^th century. Originally, Chickering pianos adopted an English style action called Edwin Brown action, or Brown action for short. Brown action was considered an excellent design because it afforded the piano a light touch and quick response. However, as time went by, most piano makers settled on Swiss action rather than English action and in the 1890s, Chickering finally stopped producing Brown action entirely. Today, there are no modern Brown action replacement parts, so a repair technician would have to fabricate his own parts or salvage parts from another piano.

The alternative to English style action was the Erard action, also called Swiss action. Sebastian Erard invented the double escapement action in 1821. Chickering pianos made after 1890 use Erard action, but Chickering had its own versions and they are different from other manufacturer’s versions, so the parts are not interchangeable. In addition, Chickering’s different versions of Erard action are not necessarily interchangeable with each other. The action on a Scale 109C is different from the action on a Scale 123. To make matters more complicated, Chickering changed action design over time, so the Erard action on a Scale 121 made in 1901 might be different from the Erard action on a Scale 121 made in 1906.

When Ampico bought the Chickering and Sons Company in 1908, they began a process of standardization, so many of the issues related to these different versions gradually resolved. However, repairing and restoring action on older Chickering pianos can be challenging.