Early Steinway Grand

[Clark]

Paul S. Larudee wrote:

> If it's really that early it would have to have agraffes all the way up
> instead of a V-bar.  It seems rather obvious, but since it hasn't been
> mentioned until now, which is it?

Well, I've got a Hallet & Davis straight strung grand, ser#10593 similar to the
instrument in the Boston MFA collection, ser#7492. The Piano Atlas puts mine
between 1850-55, so the BMFA instrument would be from before 1850, though the
museum published that the instrument is "probably 1859," what happens to be the
year of the first pencilled tuners signature on the music desk. Mine has carved
legs rather than the octagonal legs at the museum; other features such as the
scales also point to the Boston instrument being older, though both have the
same general shape, action, carvings etc.

However, the newer instrument has agraffes throughout the compass while the
older has two sections with capo bars and two with pressure bars. (Both have
full plates)

Clark