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Vol. 86 July 18, 2026 No. 19

Frederick Kranich

president, Kranich and Bach (corporation) inventor
  • Kranich and Bach

Biography

Frederick Kranich, son of Helmuth Kranich, was elected a director and officer when Kranich and Bach was incorporated in May 1890, and became the corporation's president after his father's death in 1902. Trained directly under his father, he inherited his father's inventive faculties, developing the 'Isotonic' pedal (which did away with the shifting keyboard in grand pianos) and the 'Violyn' plate for upright pianos, both patented inventions.

Highlights

  • Became president of Kranich and Bach after his father Helmuth's death in 1902
  • Invented the 'Isotonic' pedal, eliminating the shifting keyboard in grand pianos
  • Invented the 'Violyn' plate for upright pianos

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. II (1913), p. 127.

Public domain.

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