Dale, Forty & Co. Ltd. Fine Pianos.

Founded in 1873 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, partners Henry Dale and Frank Forty, formerly piano tuners with the Broadwood company purchased the established music house of Finlayson.  The newly named Dale, Forty & Co. also acquired Hale & Co. music publishers by appointment to the Queen. Their magnificent music warehouse dominated the town’s famous Regency Promenade. Situated opposite Neptune’s Fountain, Dale, Forty sold absolutely everything to do with music, instruments, gramophones and later, radio.  The Dale, Forty piano workshops imported all major marques of piano, repaired and reconditioned customers’ instruments and by the late 1900s manufactured a range of uprights and small grands, many of which are still in service today. By the early 20th Century, Dale, Forty had upwards of sixty shops throughout the Midlands and Wales, a tuning and repair service covering more than half of the country, together with a showroom and offices in Great Portland Street, London. Brand ownership is still in Cheltenham to this day.

Dale, Forty. DF-U1 Upright under construction at BPA in Kent.

Dale, Forty. DF-U1 Upright under construction at BPA in Kent.

Today’s range of Dale, Forty pianos is designed by AXL Musical Instrument Corporation in Shanghai as a premium range alongside their other brands, including Salle Pleyel, May Berlin and Palatino.  UK market models are also hand-built in a small assembly unit operated by British Piano Actions (BPA) in Kent.  All Dale, Forty instruments are built with action, keys and hammers by BPA.  This combination of Far-Eastern construction with high quality British expertise enables us to commission an excellent product at a competitive price, and a final process of thorough preparation and voicing under the supervision of BPA technicians results in a well-balanced action and a more European tone than most other pianos at the same price point.

Dale, Forty pianos are both beautiful and built to last. Our pianos are in daily use at Gloucestershire College, The Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre, Corraine Collins Dance Studios , Ribston Hall High School, and the University of Gloucestershire’s Popular Music Studio.

We invite you to try the range for yourself.

Dealers include:
Coach House Pianos, Swansea https://www.coachhousepianos.co.uk/
Britten’s Music, Tunbridge Wells https://www.brittensmusic.co.uk/
Joseph Taylor Pianos, Oxford https://www.taylorpianos.co.uk/

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