The Welmar name first appeared in 1919, marking the beginning of a legacy that would grow to become one of Britain's most famous and highly respected piano brands.

How did a confident, craft led British piano industry become a handful of surviving names and factories? This article traces how wartime controls, redirected skills and post war austerity reshaped what British makers could build, and explains why those shifts still matter when choosing a piano today, especially at Sykes & Sons.

Few British upright pianos are as respected as the Knight K10. It is one of the most structurally serious small uprights ever produced in the United Kingdom, and reconditioned examples remain highly regarded even decades after production ceased. However, confusion frequently arises between the Knight K10 and another model: the Knight York. Only recently, we received another call from a concerned pianist who had been shown what was advertised as a 'K10' on a showroom floor. Th

In this article, we take you inside the history, the science, and the sheer craftsmanship that keeps spruce wood at the very core of piano soundboards — and explain why, even after three centuries, there is still no better choice.

It is a scenario we hear almost every week: “Someone’s offering us a piano for free — should we take it?” On the surface, a free piano sounds like a dream come true. After all, it’s a big, beautiful instrument, and you’re saving hundreds or even thousands of pounds… right?

Kemble pianos of certain vintages have a common fault on the bass bridge which is always addressed during our reconditioning process of...