Chickering Square Grands Question

[D.L. Bullock]

As we all know, brass crystallizes with age.  I have found many square
actions with the screw flange jacks, that were breaking the brass springs.
If yours is not breaking jack springs, then you may be lucky.  I also find
that the cord loops are usually breaking.  These maladies affect 8 out of 10
pianos of this type, so I have gotten into the habit of replacing both.  If
you have two or three that have broken, either cord or spring, then they are
going to be problems, if not then perhaps you can risk it.  It may be
another ten years before you have to replace them all.

D.L. Bullock
www.thepianoworld.com
St. Louis

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Farrell
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 7:58 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: Chickering Square Grands Question


You wrote:

> I forgot to mention in my previous post that when you restore a square
> grand, you must make all new springs.  The vellum jack springs require
> something that looks like a shorter upright hammer butt spring.  The
flange
> jack found in later hulking squares takes a small coiled expansion spring
> about 1/4" long and as big around as a pencil lead.  These have to connect
> to cord loops imbedded in the wood with the other end of the spring
running
> through wood.

Why do you have to make all new springs? Do these break easily? All appear
to be quite well and functional on my Woodward & Brown. In this particular
case I am only "refurbishing" the action - bushings, hammers, regulation,
and little else - the state of wear of this action is on a par with a
lightly used 50 year old piano - it is really is quite nice shape.
Unfortunately, the owners of this piano are more interested in the
appearance of the piano rather than its performance. The only way I could
talk them into restringing it was to point out the cosmetic benefits! Go
figure.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "D.L. Bullock" <dlbullock@att.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 1:18 PM
Subject: RE: Chickering Square Grands Question


> You must remember that when these pianos were built most everyone was
> building good quality.  The brands that were not good quality usually did
> not make many for very long, and it is unlikely that their piano lasted
this
> long.  People did not have the mindset that "Steinway is best and nothing
> else matters" like they do now.  Steinway had not begun spending the
> hundreds of Millions of Dollars they have spent in the last hundred years
> convincing the public of that, yet.
>
> Steinway square grands are fine,  I would not say their square was their
> best piano at the time.  Emerson was on a par with Steinways in my
opinion.
> The several Hallet brands were also great pianos.  My personal favorite
> happens to be Mathushek, who redesigned the square piano to become what it
> became and the two Mathucheks I have done were pretty darn impressive.
The
> inherent weakness in Mathusheks seems to be the damper tray seems to warp
> and distort from weight and use.  You may need to make new ones or
reinforce
> and dewarp with metal.  Many of these pianos used standard piano supply
> square grand actions.  After Mathushek, all the brands seemed to stop
> experimenting with actions and settled on the same basic design.  I have
> redone several Chickering small square grands and they are great little
> pianos.  They have leather hammers. and vellum jacks, and damper levers.
> They later built the hulking version of square grand but I have not done
any
> of them.
>
> I forgot to mention in my previous post that when you restore a square
> grand, you must make all new springs.  The vellum jack springs require
> something that looks like a shorter upright hammer butt spring.  The
flange
> jack found in later hulking squares takes a small coiled expansion spring
> about 1/4" long and as big around as a pencil lead.  These have to connect
> to cord loops imbedded in the wood with the other end of the spring
running
> through wood.
>
> I have not seen a Woodward and Brown.  I am sure there are many other
brands
> I have not seen as well.
> D.L. Bullock
> www.thepianoworld.com
> St. Louis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Farrell
> Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 5:00 AM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Chickering Square Grands Question
>
>
> I own an 1863 Emerson square that I have been planning to restore at some
> point. I see you are working on one now. What are your thoughts on the
> general quality and desirability of the Emerson (compared to Mathushek,
> Chickering, Steinway)? How old is yours? Thanks.
>
> Generally speaking, what are some desirable square manufacturers, and
> undesirable?
>
> BTW, I am currently restoring an 1882 Woodward & Brown square.
>
> Terry Farrell
>
>