Johannes Zumpe

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Johannes Zumpe (pronounced zumpy) was the foremost maker of early English square pianos, a form of small rectangular piano with a compass of about five octaves. The pianos sounded like mellow harpsichords, and had a damper stop in the left cheek of the case. The action of these little instruments is known as the "English Single" and consists of a little "sticker" simply pushing up on a hammer, while a rod passing through the hitch pin plank lifted up a damper lever hinged from a rail attached to the spine. The pianos in Zumpe's style were built from about 1760 to 1800.