The History of Haddorff Pianos
The Haddorff Piano Company was established in 1901 by Charles Haddorff. [1] From his large Bedford, Illinois piano factory, Charles Haddorff masterfully designed and built the very first Haddorff piano himself– quite the labor of love. [2]
The Haddorff factory was large enough to also produce Steinback & Dreher, Claredon, and Bush & Gerts pianos, among others, in addition to its own name-brand line. Eventually, the Haddorff Piano Company was purchased by Krakauer Brothers, out of New York, who sold the business to Conn Keyboards. Shortly afterward, Conn Keyboards became a division of Kimball Piano Company. In 1960, after almost 60 years, Kimball discontinued the Haddorff line of pianos. [3]
About Haddorff Pianos
One cannot mention the name “Haddorff” without immediately envisioning beautifully sounding, exquisitely built instruments. The Haddorff line includes grands and uprights, and both reproducing and player pianos, all of high repute and quality.
Although the line was discontinued some sixty years ago, Haddorff pianos are still renown in the music industry for their clarity and power of tone. Built by skilled craftsmen, using only the best materials, Haddorff’s have such graduated tonal results, that even the most trained ear cannot detect the dividing lines. [4]
Restoring a Haddorff Piano
While Haddorff pianos do not hold their value quite as well as some of their contemporaries, there is still a market for them because of their supreme sound. Fully restored uprights can fetch anywhere from $3,000 - $5,000, while grands can be worth up to $9,000. Contact Lindeblad today for all of your piano restoration questions. We would love to help you bring your Haddorff back to life.
References:
[1] Pierce, W. Robert. Pierce Piano Atlas: Anniversary Edition, 2017 Our 70th Year. Albuquerque: Ashley, 2017. Print.
[2] http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/agesh.htm#HADDORFF
[3] Pierce, W. Robert. Pierce Piano Atlas: Anniversary Edition, 2017 Our 70th Year. Albuquerque: Ashley, 2017. Print.
[4] http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/agesh.htm#HADDORFF
Images:
http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn99021999/1914-10-04/ed-1/seq-42/
https://history.rockfordpubliclibrary.org/localhistory/?tag=haddorff-piano-co
