Piano Brand
United StatesFrench Jesse
Jesse French started in the Nashville music trade in the 1870s and organized the Jesse French Piano & Organ Co. there in 1885. After a short partnership with Albert Krell, the firm became Jesse French & Sons around 1905 and built pianos in New Castle, Indiana. P. A. Starck bought it in 1955 and used the name until about 1965.
- Est. 1875
- Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- No longer in production
French Jesse
Est. 1875 · Nashville, Tennessee
Serial number
French Jesse serial number lookup
How old is your French Jesse piano? Enter its serial number to find the year it was made. Our chart has 42 dated French Jesse serial numbers from 1896 to 1967.
- Upright piano: open the top lid and look at the cast-iron plate near the tuning pins, usually on the left or right side.
- Grand piano: look on the plate near the tuning pins, under the music desk, or on the soundboard beside the plate.
- Ignore model numbers and patent dates: the serial number is usually 4 to 7 digits long.
Timeline
French Jesse through the years
In business from 1875 to 1967: 92 years.
Dated serials 1896–1967
The file
French Jesse in detail
Heritage
- Founder
- Regional US maker
- Role in piano history
- Popular in south USA
Workshop
- Factories
- Nashville
- Materials
- American hardwoods
- Innovations
- Affordable reliable
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