WILLIAM KNABE & COMPANY HISTORY: William Knabe & Company (not to be confused with Knabe Brothers) is one of the most illustrious and respected names in the American piano industry. William Knabe entered into partnership with William Henry Gaehle in 1839, forming firm of “Knabe & Gaehle” in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1854, W. H. Gaehle withdrew giving complete control to Knabe, and the name was changed to “Wm. Knabe & Company”. Wm. Knabe & Co. built some of the finest pianos in American history. Knabe’s patents were numerous, and their many innovations aided in improving piano design and evolution well into the 20th Century.

In 1908 Knabe was purchased by The American Piano Company. During the early 20th Century the firm built some of the finest, most elaborate and expensive pianos in American history. Knabe was so successful that it became the “Official Piano of the Metropolitan Opera” in the 1920s.
Knabe was not immune to the financial hardships of the Great Depression, and in 1932 the firm was absorbed into the conglomerate giant Aeolian-American Corporation. During this era, their factories located in Each Rochester, New York. All through the 20th Century, the Knabe name continued to be synonymous with the best in quality and workmanship. The Knabe name was bought by the Asian piano giant Young-Chang in the 1990s, and the Knabe name is still being produced.

WHAT IS AN AMPICO? AMPICO is an acronym for The AMerican PIano COmpany. AMPCIO built player mechanisms which were only installed in piano brands owned by the American Piano Company. These brand names included prestigious names like Chickering, Marshall & Wendell, Fischer, Knabe, and others. The AMPICO system is a player mechanism that allows the piano to play with expression and dynamic like a real person – not a mechanical put out. AMPICO player grand pianos were among the most expensive, high grade pianos money could buy in the ‘teens and twenties’

Case Style: This piano is made of richly figured walnut wood and is of the carved Italian Florentine style. The early 20thCentury saw a sweeping revival of historic and period styles in interior design and home décor. During this era, the elegant Florentine style was one of the more popular of these classical styles. Several esteemed manufacturers introduced a limited series of “art-case” which reflected these period styles. Because these “art-case” models were more costly and produced in smaller numbers than standard models, they have become quite rare.

Original Catalog. Attached here is a scanned copy of an early 20th Century Knabe Piano Company sales catalog from our collection. You will see your piano listed here as the "FLORENTINE STYLE HGE AMPICO, DESIGN #528" in walnut wood. If you take a few moments to read through this catalog, you will get a real sense of the quality that Knabe put into building their pianos