Montana Heirloom 1935 Knabe Ampico B Vintage Player Grand Piano Rebuild
Brigham Larson Pianos1935 Knabe Ampico B Vintage Player Grand – A Depression-Era Masterpiece Reborn
This 1935 Knabe Ampico B vintage player grand piano was built right in the middle of the Great Depression. That’s what makes it even more interesting. This wasn’t an entry-level player. This was top-tier, cutting-edge technology.
Every once in a while, a piano comes through the shop (watch drone shop tour) that reminds you just how far ahead some builders were—even nearly a century ago. This 1935 Knabe Ampico B is one of those instruments.
If you know anything about vintage player systems, especially from the 1920s–30s, you understand what that name means. Ampico B was about as advanced as player technology ever got in that era. And to see one today—fully restored and working the way it was designed—is something special.
400 Hours of Player Restoration
The player system alone took about 400 hours to rebuild.
I want to recognize Matthew, an expert BLP piano player rebuilding technician, who focused on this vintage player rebuild. He’s one of those rare technicians who understands these systems inside and out. This kind of restoration isn’t just mechanical. You’re bringing back a system that was designed to mimic human performance.
Everything in the player mechanism has been gone through and rebuilt so it functions the way it was originally intended.
Hybrid Level Restoration + Full Vintage Player Rebuild
For the piano itself, we took a balanced approach.
This wasn’t about stripping away history. It was about preserving what matters and replacing what wears out.
Here’s what we did:
• Replaced bass strings and tuning pins
• Installed new hammers
• Rebuilt action components (shanks, knuckles, flanges)
• Replaced worn bushings
• Refurbished remaining original components
The goal was simple: keep the original 1935 foundation intact—especially the soundboard, bridges, and plate—while bringing the performance back to life.
The Look – Pure Art Deco
Visually, this piano is just as compelling as it is mechanically.
The control panel has that unmistakable Art Deco design—almost like something out of the Empire State Building. The knobs, the layout, the geometry—it all reflects the era when design and engineering were working hand in hand.
It’s not just a piano. It’s a piece of history. The family chose to keep the original cabinetry finish and keys to preserve the history of this beautiful Knabe.
What Makes the Ampico B Different
Earlier player systems were fairly simple. They were mostly “on or off”—notes played, but without much nuance.
The Ampico B changed that.
• It introduced real expression control—dynamics that actually resemble how a pianist plays
• It allowed for subtle gradations between soft and loud, not just extremes
• It could reproduce musical phrasing in a way that feels alive, not mechanical
Those expression ports you see across the roll? That’s where the magic happens. The center controls the notes, but the sides control how those notes are played. That’s what separates this system from the earlier generation.
It even includes features like:
• Repeat function – automatically rewinds and replays the roll
• Normal and subdued modes – giving different tonal character
• Complex expression controls – allowing far more musical realism
This was a serious piece of engineering.
If you have a family heirloom piano like this—something with real history and substance—it’s worth doing it right. Contact us today for a free heirloom piano restoration evaluation. We handle the entire process, including pickup, restoration, and delivery of your beautifully restored family piano.
