[CAUT] Storytone piano update

Christopher Purdy purdy@ohio.edu
Fri, 6 May 2005 09:32:08 -0400


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Thanks to everyone that responded to my post.  I'm sorry for the delay 
in getting back but the University's server was down all day yesterday. 
  I had not realized how much I had come to depend on email until then.

By the posts I've read and what I found on the web, it seems there were 
some very different incarnations of this piano.  I was able to see the 
piano the other night and I though some of you might enjoy hearing 
about it.

The serial numbers line up with Story and Clark for 1939.  We were told 
that this piano was exhibited at the 39 world fair in Chicago so that 
part of the story lines up.  It has a BEAUTIFUL art deco case that I 
can't begin to describe.  I have never seen anything like it. I really 
wonder if it or a limited number of them were commissioned for the fair 
and designed by some wacky designer.  Some veneer is loose but there 
are no bad scratches or dents.  With a good cleaning/rub down and 
veneer repair this case would be absolutely stunning.

It has a standard plate, 88 notes, and the usual one, two, and three 
string unisons.  There is no sound board but individual pick ups for 
each string.  If there was ever amplifiers or a turn table it's gone. 
(the bench is not there, some of that equipment is rumored to have 
lived there)

The keys are a mess.  At some point somebody replaced several missing 
ivories with plastic.  Then at some other point some dork painted the 
key tops white.

There are no organ parts as some have seen in other Storytones. Picture 
a spinet piano.  Now take out the sound board, put pick ups behind the 
strings, and speakers behind the plate.  At best this dude sounded like 
an amplified spinet (it sounds stupid without amplification, like 
playing an electric guitar without an amp)  but the case is just a 
knock out.  I am dying to take it apart and check it all out.

If my friend buys this I will post some pictures of it.  As cool as 
this thing is, it would need re-stringing.  Since there is no board, it 
is useless as an acoustic piano.  I wonder if the pick ups could still 
work.  Do they deteriorate?  Someone would have to fix them or replace 
them, replace the speakers, and then design a simple amp.  It has me 
thinking crazy thoughts...

Chris
-- 
Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.
School of Music, Ohio University
Rm. 311, Robt. Glidden Hall
Athens, OH  45701
Office (740) 593-1656
Cell    (740) 590-3842
fax      (740) 593-1429
http://www.ohiou.edu/music
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