Kohler & Campbell: Masters of the Trade

Angela Umphers Rueger
Mar 13, 2017
3 min read

Kohler & Campbell, one of the most widely known piano companies of the 20th Century, produced over 800,000 pianos in its 91 years of existence, including grands, uprights, consoles, spinets, player pianos, and digital pianos. Charles Kohler and John Calvin Campbell established the company together, opening for business in New York City in 1894. Mr. Campbell died in 1908 and Charles Kohler took control of the company.

The Kohler & Campbell grand pianos were produced by Brambach in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and in 1954 all production was moved to Granite Falls. Around 1984 the name Kohler & Campbell was shortened to Kohler on most of their pianos, but the name Brambach was used on some consoles and spinets. The firm was sold in 1985 to Sherman Clay, who contracted with Samick USA to build grand pianos using the Kohler name. Samick also made Kohler digital pianos.

In the years leading up to the Great Depression, Bennet Standard Pneumatic Action Company, a

subsidiary of Kohler & Campbell, produced an astounding 50,000 player piano actions annually for companies all over the world. Kohler & Campbell also took control of dozens of piano firms and manufacturers over the years, ultimately producing pianos under 51 different names. How many of these names do you recognize? Amplitone, Art-Electric, Artist Record, Autopiano, Astor, Frances Bacon, Carter, Behning, Behr Bros. & Co., Electra, Milton, Jeffersonian, Ministrelo, Newton, Peter Pan,

Pianista, Stephen Foster, Simplex, Stratford, Stulz & Bauer, Symphonia, Tom Thumb, Triumph, and Waldorf. I found it particularly interesting that Newton was mentioned here. I do have a piano with the name Newton & Sons, but I don’t believe there’s any connection to K&C. Other pianos were made under the names of Kohler & Chase, Oscar Kohler, and Kohler-Pollock Co. These also have no connection to Kohler & Campbell.

The piano featured in the background photo of several of my website pages is my Kohler & Campbell, given to me by a friend. It had been stored for years in a garage with a leaky roof. As a result, the case of the piano suffered much damage, but the action pieces were still quite useful. Unfortunately, I had already removed the music shelf before I remembered to take a picture. The serial number indicates that it was built in 1902; however, one of the keys was stamped with the words, “Patented September 17, 1907,” suggesting either that some or all the keys were replaced shortly after the piano was built, or perhaps the case was constructed in 1902 and the full assembly completed five years later. I’m not at all sure about that, but I can’t really imagine the piano needing new keys after just 5 years.

To me, one of the most fascinating things about the action in this K&C piano is the sticker. In most uprights that I’ve taken apart, the sticker is a long, thin piece of wood, varying from 7 to 9 inches, and reaching down to the key. When the key is played, it lifts up in the back, causing a capstan screw on the end of the key to push up on the sticker. This produces a chain reaction which results in the hammer striking the string and producing a sound. Well, in the Kohler & Campbell, the sticker is attached to the key, not to the wippen. Instead of a long, thin piece of wood on the bottom of the wippen, there is a short bell-shaped piece, and the long stick is attached to the key. I haven’t yet decided how to use the stickers from this piano, but the bell-shaped pieces have served me well as accents on Christmas ornaments. Be sure to look at the photos below to see what I’m talking about.