Wm. Knabe & Co.

Available at all Piano Gallery locations.

The Knabe Piano story begins two hundred years ago in the village of Kreutzberg, Germany, with the birth of Wilhelm Knabe in 1803. After a formal education to prepare him for a professional career, he decided to apprentice himself to a German maker of pianofortes and develop the art of piano-making.

After learning his new trade at various German piano makers' shops, he migrated to the United States in 1833. Young Wilhelm changed his name to William and quickly found work with Henry Hartje's piano-making shop. At that time he began the study of the English language and American business conditions.

In 1837 he launched out on his own with a partner, Henry Gaehle, forming a firm of Knabe & Gahle. In 1854 William bought out his partner and changed the name of the firm to Wm. Knabe & Co.

Milestones in Knabe pianos include: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's concert on a Knabe piano officially opening Carnegie Hall, President Rutherford B. Hayes's installation of a Knabe in the White House's official residence, and in 1879, the Knabe was the first piano purchased for Japanese classrooms.

Through the years Wm. Knabe has been a part of the American Piano Company, Aeolian Corporation, Mason Hamlin, and now is the premium piano for of one of the world's largest musical instrument manufacturers, Samick Musical Instruments, Ltd.