re- fortepiano key "bushing

[Stephen Birkett]

> I stand corrected - the instrument is a sort of hybrid period
> instrument and
> not an explicit Graf reproduction (David Breitman here confirms that for me).
> I'm not an expert on the various specifics of historical pianos. At any rate,
> my task was to quieten this thing down, and the shims worked well.
>
Sorry...I didn't mean to correct you. I have a quick response time
when it comes to use of the word "copy"! I've been doing some
renovations on a McCobb 5 octave locally and I'm not very impressed
with it from a design point of view (although craftsmanship is good).
He seems to have chosen various design components from different
builders in the period 1790-1815 and mixed them up. The resulting
hybrid just doesn't work e.g. early small hammer heads out of balance
with a short scale meant for thicker gauges. Some of the
modifications are not even for any apparent purpose, like f.i. the
string band parallel to the spine all the way into the bass
(why?)...it was never done. Did he do that on the `Graf' you have?

> " Does the McCobb have
> hardwood key buttons on *top* of the keys, over the front bushings,
> as used by Graf?"       I don't understand this question, maybe you could
> elaborate? On our piano here the hardwood shoes are on the underside of the
> keys at the front rail. It's conceivable they may have been add-ons, I don't
> know for sure. But they certainly were noisy, and a bad idea.
>
All original Grafs have (square) hardwood buttons on *top* of the
keys that reinforce the area at the top of the front bushing pin. If
the shoes are underneath (and there is nothing on top of the pivot
hole) this is definitely a-historical, and I would imagine the noise
problem is to be expected. I've never seen that way of front bushing
on an early piano. Graf also had a particular way of forming his
bushing holes.

Stephen Birkett (Fortepianos)
Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
tel: 519-885-2228
fax: 519-763-4686