Broadwood Grand

[Antares]

Hello Listers,

I remember reading a very nice and informative (English) book about the life
of John Broadwood and how he started out as an apprentice in the workshop of
Mr Schudi in London.
At the same time (while reading that book) I was working on this 100 year
old Broadwood grand (which btw still is a fantastic example of the grandiose
pianomaking period at the end of the last Century), and I must say, I got
pretty much influenced by working on an inspiring instrument, and  reading a
biography of the maker.
In other (and more) words.. it inspired me.

And, since there is a discussion here on the list about Broadwood
instruments, we might take into consideration that Broadwood also built
instruments for very well known composers and that he was responsible for
the (in that time) gigantic piano industry in England.
With that perspective in mind, I personally would not try to "modernize"
>such< an instrument, but instead, I would do my very best to restore it and
only replace worn materials like strings, felt, bushings and the long
centerpins. It is too easy to change an instrument by replacing the basic
parts that are a part of the historic development.
Also, the choosing of "the right" materials is a very tricky thing and
sometimes an art in itself on which very much depends.
Furthermore, I "draw my own line" by not wanting to work on instruments
built before, let us say,
± 1880. The ones built before that "line" I would consider a "Hammerklavier"
and before the Hammerklaviers the "Pianofortes".
In almost every Piano country there are a number of specialists for these
instruments and I think that it would be better, generally speaking (for me
in any case), to improve my skills by only working with instruments built
during the last hundred years, during which many very interesting
developments have taken place.
But, then, on the other hand, there are those who are talented in maybe many
more ways, and in my Country we have a name for them, they are called "een
duizendpoot", a "centipede"because of the multitude of limbs for the
multitude of tasks......

So....keep on truckin'

friendly greetings
from
Antares

antares@euronet.nl