John Broadwood & Sons Pianos
John Broadwood & Sons is the oldest and one of the most prestigious piano companies in the world. However, despite the illustrious history, they are today, a minor player in the piano business.
In 1718, Burkat Shudi came to London, aged 16, from Switzerland where his family were craftsmen in wood. He became an apprentice in the Soho harpsichord workshop of Hermann Tabel. After ten years, he began his own workshop that became the foundation for the business now known as John Broadwood & Sons.
Before age 30, Shudi made his name by sending a harpsichord to Handel, who wanted to give a special present to a soprano starting in a London opera. By 1740, he was manufacturing pianos for King George II, and since then, every monarch has had a piano built by the company. It was in 1771, that John Broadwood, a Scotland native, married Shudi's daughter Barbara and eventually came to take over the workshop.
In 1777, Broadwood, Robert Stodart, and Americus Backers designed a piano to fit in the case of the harpsichord, the first 'grand' piano design. Further improvements were made when Broadwood commissioned scientific research on the improvement of the piano, created the 'divided bridge' improving the bass tone. In 1783, Broadwood also patented a design that created a pedal for raising the dampers and shifting the action sideways (the 'una corda' pedal)
