Q: Chickering

Ron Torrella torrella@umich.edu
Sun Oct 3 00:14 MDT 1999


McNeilTom@aol.com wrote:

> What a strange question!

You expect anything less from me? :-)

> It seems that Chickering was continuing to invent the piano long after
> everyone else was done.  (I want to attribute this to the historical rivalry
> with Steinway, reluctance to accept ideas that originated with S&S.)  I don't
> think there was any make less associated with standard specifications, nor
> any make with a greater number of scales.
>
> Why do you ask?  You've kindled my curiosity.

Desperation....? I'd like to save myself a 100 mile trip tomorrow (Oh-my-gosh! today!),
mostly. The piano isn't convenient to the shop, unfortunately. The hammers I took out were
originals and they measured out consistently to 5 3/16". Strangely close to Steinway's
"standard" 5 1/8". I remember the piano sounding extraordinarily good - even with those
ancient, badly worn hammers, so I'm tempted to leave things as they came from the factory.

A friend, down south, is a somewhat habitual archivist of all manner of oddball
measurements. I knew he'd be interested in this kind of info and I suspect he's not the
only archivist out there. (Owen's still not online and, as long as Barbara keeps her foot
firmly planted, probably never will!)

--
Ron Torrella, RPT
Piano Technician
University of Michigan             "Dese are de conditions dat prevail."
School of Music                                         --Jimmy Durante
734/764-6207 (office/shop)
734/763-5097 (fax)
734/572-7663 (home)




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