Blog

16
Nov

Article on Cavendish Pianos in British Airways in flight magazine “Business Life”

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    Thursday, October 6, The piano man How an exploratory trip to Shanghai helped the last remaining British pianomaker break into the Chinese export market Adam Cox has taken his pianos from Yorkshire to China Gabriel Szabo/Guzelian Share this article Facebook Twitter Email “When you’re working away in the Yorkshire Dales building pianos, it’s quite difficult to get a sense of what’s going on the rest of the world,” says Adam Cox, co-owner, with wife Charlie, of award-winning Cavendish Pianos. “So you’ve got to get out there and meet people who share your passions.” The story begins two decades ago, when the Coxes had a shop in Leeds selling British-made Kemble pianos. Then Kemble […]

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03
Aug

Buzzing with excitement!

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We are currently buzzing with excitement as we are due to launch our new Cavendish Grand piano making works at Beehive Mills in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. Situated on the first floor, with a view of the canal, the tranquil setting of this historic mill is the perfect setting for building Yorkshire-made grand pianos! Beehive Mill will produce the Cavendish Baby and Boudoir grands. The expansion means manufacture of uprights will continue at Bolton Abbey giving more space and improved output. 

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22
Jul

The Finch Family help build their very own Cavendish baby grand

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The Finch family have ordered a Cavendish grand piano. But, rather than just waiting for it to be built and taking delivery they took a more hands on approach…  “Would it be possible to come along and help build the piano?” Asked Linda the mother of three very promising pianists. That question lead to a day at the factory helping build their very own baby grand piano.  After a tour of the factory and an explanation of the parts the Finch family set about screwing in Capstons (A very important part of the piano which links the key to the action). Each member of the family had their own key and once their work was […]

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25
May

The alchemy of piano-building. 

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The architecture of piano building… The alchemy of turning wood into a the heart of an instrument that can sing. The soundboard.            

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22
Feb

Slow boat to China

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Looking back in the history books it appears this will be the first time a new, British-made Grand piano has been exported to China for nearly half a century. Cavendish pianos was founded five years ago after the closure of Kemble Pianos, the U.K.’s last remaining manufacturer. Owner Adam Cox says, “We felt it was a case of ‘do or die’ for British piano manufacturing so we stepped into the breach and Cavendish Pianos was born.” Two years ago Cavendish exhibited at the Shanghai Musical Instrument Show and found a Chinese distributor for their pianos based in Beijing. Since then they have successfully exported many upright pianos to China. Then Cavendish were asked if they […]

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19
Dec

Building a piano in pictures 

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Back posts Back posts are the foundation of a piano. Perfectly straight grained Douglas fir….

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24
Oct

Cavendish Pianos nominated for “Best Piano Award”: David and Goliath?

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Cavendish pianos amazed the piano world last year by bagging the coveted “best piano award” at the Music industry association awards. Why did this cause amazement? Perhaps because the small British company saw off competition from the likes of Yamaha and a firm based in China which claims to be the largest piano factory ever. Small certainly is beautiful for the Yorkshire-based company which turns out around 50 pianos per year (Less than half an hour’s output from the largest piano factory in the world!) But the emphasis here is on quality rather than quantity. 2015 sees Cavendish on the shortlist again with its Chatsworth model. This model epitomises is all that can be achieved […]

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27
Feb

Cavendish Pianos really are in a field of their own

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The Times, February 27 2013 [original article] Harrods may no longer sell pianos, but there’s still a future for the old joanna — in an idyllic Yorkshire dale When Harrods closed its piano department this month, brusquely declaring that pianos “no longer warranted the space”, many commentators were quick to proclaim a symbolic moment. Out rolled the obituaries: yes, the old joanna has had a good run (Bartolomeo Cristofori made the first three centuries ago), but surely the rise of electronic keyboards has now rendered it as obsolete as the typewriter. The figures seem to justify the gloom. Fewer than 5,000 new “acoustic” pianos are sold in Britain each tear, compared with 20,000 in the 1980’s. […]

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20
Mar

Cowsheds resound with output of first British piano maker for 78 years

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Martin Wainwright The Guardian – Tuesday 20 March 2012 – Last modified on Wednesday 21 May 2014 (Original Article) Company based in Yorkshire Dales makes debut at European music fair in Frankfurt The great British industry of piano-making, which has dwindled to a handful of craftsmen turning out individual commissions, is about to welcome its first newcomer for 78 years. Based in a set of former cowsheds in the Yorkshire Dales, a team of experienced piano salesmen is travelling to Germany this week to launch the first of a range of uprights and grands which will have a production run of 50 in its first year. Cavendish pianos, named after the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, who own […]

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