The History of the Schiller Piano

Schiller Piano Company was founded by F.G. Jones in 1892 in Oregon, Illinois. Schiller Pianos built very well-made, expensive pianos. At the beginning of the 20th century, Schiller was the preferred piano brand for many academic institutions in Illinois. 

By the early 1920s,  Schiller was bought by Conover Cable from the Cable Piano Company. THey used the Schiller name to market their most expensive piano line. Th Schiller piano name was later owned and produced by the Winter Piano Company in the mid to late 20th century. [1]

About Schiller Pianos

The individuality and tone of a Schiller piano is highly sought after. Their super grand is extremely durable, and unlike any other grand piano at the time, the vibrating section of the Schiller sounding board is independent of the case.

Under the ownership of the Cable Piano, the Schiller brand was a part of their grand piano production line using the famous Julius Bauer patents. They made the Chute & Butler pianos, and controlled the following brand names: Cable, Bachmann, Carola, Inner Player, Conover, Euphona, Schiller, Kingsbury and Wellington.

Some of their most famous piano types and size variations pulled from an original Schiller catalog from 1929 are listed below:

- Upright piano designs: Baby Upright Mahogany, Baby Upright Fumed Oak, Apartment Design, Colonial, Florentine, Jacobean

- Player Piano Standard Action: Style 3, Style 51

- Grands (5 foot 2 inch length): Style E, Florentine, Hepplewhite, Gothic, Palencia, Georgian

- Grands (6 foot, Thayer, Wessell, Nickel and Gross Action): Artist’s Model, Louis XV Design

- Reproducing Grands, Welte Action: Louis XVI, Gothic, Spanish

- Expression Grands, Auto Action: Louis XVI [2]

Restoring a Schiller Piano

Today, Schiller pianos are consistently some of the finest upright and grand pianos - the company prided themselves on saying that when you “buy a Schiller, you invest in a piano that will last more than a lifetime.” 

Certainly, these pianos are meant to be passed down from generation to generation. Call Lindeblad to find out how to restore a Schiller to the glory it’s meant for.

References:

[1] Pierce, W. Robert. Pierce Piano Atlas: Anniversary Edition, 2017 Our 70th Year. Albuquerque: Ashley,2017. Print.

[2] Illustrated Sales Catalog for the Schiller Piano Company, Chicago, 1929