At 7:32 AM -0500 12/14/01, Farrell wrote: >"the crack-prone Bechstein plates of some decades back" > >Hi Del. Was there a range of years where this was a problem? Or are >most all old Bechstein's subject to this weakness. (My specific >concern is my own personal 1900 Bechstein grand that I will be >rebuilding in the next year or so.) Thanks. What model is it? Has it a B or an A cast into the front web or has it a V at the toe corner of the plate or has it nothing? Around those years the models were changing. There are at least 3 different models in the 200 cm bracket and some of these are prone to cracking badly and almost all of them were installed green. I once had a B (which ought to have been all right) and which had no cracks. When I unscrewed the rim screws, that plate lifted off the seating at the toe a full three inches if not more (it's an experience I try to forget!). When we refitted the plate, we had to modify the seating in order to get it to lie flat. This was not quite as bad as I'd anticipated, but it was impossible to get the bearing quite right at the break and you can hear it, though most people don't notice. The piano has done daily service in a school for over 17 years and is treasured by them and very well looked after, but if they'd seen it when I first got it, they wouldn't have touched it. Unless you know your Bechstein grands, its best to steer clear of them. JD
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