Sykes & Sons

We are very happy to offer another reconditioned upright piano from the Finnish manufacturer, Fazer. This piano brand was owned by Musiikki-Fazer, which was established in 1897 by Konrad Fazer when he purchased an existing music store on Aleksanterinkatu, Helsinki (Finland's official Christmas Street) which was renamed Helsingfors Nya Musikhandel (Helsinki's New Music Store). The store had very humble beginnings, retailing the sheet music of many European composers, but over the following 100 years the company grew to control more than half of the entire Finnish record industry, making it the most significant company in Finland's music sector.

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Musiikki-Fazer's piano production began in 1934, when the firm started manufacturing instruments for the Swedish Svenska Förenade Piano & Organ Company, under license, and their success in this encouraged Fazer to eventually design and produce their own range of pianos which would combine good quality and low price. They accomplished this quite rapidly and Fazer pianos went into high demand, necessitating the move to a larger manufacturing facility in 1963.

 

In 1971, Fazer celebrated the production of their ten-thousandth piano, with approximately half of their production around this time being exported into the wider European continent. Fazer's production peaked between 1983 and 1984 when they were producing over 6,000 pianos per year, making them one of the largest piano manufacturers in Europe.

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The firm adopted a streamlined production process using the most modern equipment and favoured simplistic designs which could be manufactured in large quantities to very exacting standards. The Fazer frames were constructed from premier cast iron with extremely flat rear flanges so they could be seamlessly mated to the level faces of the high-quality multi-laminated wrest planks.

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The designers behind these Fazer upright pianos also incorporated a carefully formulated scale design that produced the widest possible dynamic range, using the famous Röslau music wire, which is a non-coated high-carbon steel produced in Germany that is widely regarded as the finest music wire available in the trade. Fazer also used actions and keyboards from highly respected makers such as Renner, Schwander, Herrburger Brooks, Langer, and BPA (British Piano Actions) - a subsidiary of the Knight Piano Company.

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Fazer is best known for these small, well-designed upright pianos which are praised for their superb tone, caliber, and stability. This small, yet powerful piano offers a full 88-note keyboard with a balanced and responsive touch, which is coupled with a brilliant dynamic range. It has a very warm full-bodied bass, lively tenor, and clear singing treble.

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This Fazer upright is housed in an attractive mahogany case which is nicely proportioned across the whole cabinet and also boasts a full-length music desk and celeste pedal. The celeste (middle) pedal allows the player to lower the volume of the piano for more private and discrete playing.

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Although Fazer is not as well-known as other European brands, they are very well-regarded, reliable pianos that offer excellent value for money, which is why we always aim to have at least one in stock at all times.

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Like all of our pianos, this Fazer has been fully serviced in our workshop and comes with the full backing of the Sykes & Sons Guarantee.