Collard & Collard

[John Delacour]

At 11:52 AM -0500 12/10/01, Wimblees@AOL.COM wrote:

>Question. Did Collard & Collard make 6' grand pianos in the 1820's. 
>It is overstrung, with two pedals. The pins are square,

Definitely later than 1870, then.  I'm pretty sure they made 
straight-strung grands well into the '90s and have not myself seen an 
overstrung that old, though that means nothing since I haven't much 
experience of Collards.

The firm, previously Clementi, had a long and distinguished pedigree. 
A local dealer recently had a 6' straight strung which had a 
beautiful sound.

>  and the action is the older kind. (I am sure there is name for it, 
>but I can't remember it. I have seen this kind of action before. It 
>is very difficult to regulate).

Is it the English action or just a rough-looking Erard-Herz 
(Steinway) type.  C&C made their own actions and by all accounts the 
action factory was quite laughable.  They look very amateurish and 
work after a fashion, but the geometry in every grand I've seen is 
hopeless and they squeak like hell at the pilot top.  In England the 
ultimate price would not warrant any major redesign of the action so 
most people just make the best of what's there.

In brief, nicish piano, lousy action

JD