Thank you Nevin! Music in song is such a powerful message. This song really brought a smile to my face this morning. Tim Coates On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 11:09 AM, nevin essex <nevin.essex at gmail.com> wrote: > Good song to go along with this story: > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYZ_ZDCZK60 > > On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 3:59 PM, Jeff Tanner <tannertuner at bellsouth.net>wrote: > >> I tuned an old Baldwin M yesterday. Second time I've seen it. But the >> piano was bought over the internet. The lady had really wanted one of my new >> pianos, but her husband said they couldn't afford a new one. He told me they >> "got a really good deal" on the piano, this being the second grand piano in >> two years they'd bought this way. The first, a 1903 Apollo cost them $200 >> plus $1200 to get it shipped from Michigan. It couldn't be tuned outside the >> two or three middle octaves and actually fell right in the floor one day. >> So, they tried their internet luck again, and found this Baldwin. The seller >> delivered the piano from several states away, in person. Claimed he was >> selling it for the owner, who'd owned it for 50 years but was now deceased >> and had serviced it for the owner for years. Anyhow, the pins are extremely >> loose and it really needs restringing, so I got to looking for the serial >> number. The 4 digit number stamped in the plate triangle under the "M" >> couldn't have been right, even though it looked like a first digit may have >> been somehow erased, which would have made it a 5-digit number. I figure it >> was a production number. So, I looked under the soundboard where Baldwin >> usually stamps the model and serial number. The wood felt really smooth >> there. It had obviously been sanded away. Inside the action, there were two >> different versions of serial numbers. On the keyframe, I read 130493 - no >> numbers anywhere close to the number on the plate. Likewise on the back of >> the keyslip, the same number. Now, in these two places, the 1 almost looked >> like it could have been stamped in there later because it wasn't as deep in >> the wood, and it was cleaner than the others. In other locations, the >> keyframe, keyblocks and fallboard, only 30493 was stamped. >> >> If the correct number is 30493, the piano was made in 1917. If the 1 is >> correct, that bumps it to 1955. Unfortunately, I don't see enough old >> Baldwins to be able to know what kinds of other characteristics to look for >> to be able to confirm a vintage. I would assume it to be possible, if not >> probable, that Baldwin "evolved" the M scale between 1917 and 1955. Of >> course, I realize that isn't all that significant. I actually became >> more curious about the serial number and why there would be what looks to be >> an attempt to disguise the identity of this old piano. >> >> Any ideas? >> Jeff Tanner >> > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20100215/9955e5aa/attachment.htm>
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