Despite the takeover and the formation of the Knabe Brothers Company, Knabe continued to sell their pianos and by 1916 production had reached 3,000 pianos a year. The American Piano Company became part of the Aeolian Corporation in 1932, and continued to produce upright and grand pianos until Aeolian’s collapse in 1985, when the Knabe name, equipment, patterns, and unfinished pianos were all sold to Sohmer & Co. Today the Young Chang company produces pianos bearing the Wm. Knabe name in its Korean factory and KB Knabe in its Chinese plant.
Dates and serial numbers when the pianos were manufactured
1855 | 5900 |
1860 | 7400 |
1870 | 13000 |
1880 | 20000 |
1890 | 33000 |
1900 | 47000 |
1910 | 68000 |
1920 | 88000 |
1930 | 107300 |
1940 | 124000 |
1950 | 144620 |
1960 | 162750 |
1970 | 179259 |
1980 | 194164 |