Carpenter/Rebuilder

[Mortier@aol.com]

"Tuned" a grand yesterday the customer said was rebuilt by his carpenter. It
was found in a barn, and this guy re-veneered it, put in a new soundboard and
block. Block was a solid piece of maple (not laminated). Board was spruce and
looked pretty, but no crown. He re-used the old strings and pins. He
obvoiusly knew nothing about pianos (string braid was on wrong side of
bridge), but I had to admire his industry. I tuned it about an octave below
pitch and told the client to donate it to a school for the deaf. "But, it's a
Knabe!" he protested. Sure enough, it had the name on the fallboard... but it
sure wasn't a Knabe. (If it were, he'd have had to replace the treble bridge,
too!).

Philip Jamison
West Chester, PA