Knabe Upright

David Ilvedson ilvey@sbcglobal.net
Wed, 26 Jun 2002 18:42:03 -0700


List,

Looked at great old Knabe upright from the 1910s or so.  Customer is moving it to Israel in several months.  Problem:  one hammer assembly loose...brass rail stub broken off...previous repair didn't hold (one of those brass clips with the feet.  This is a really great piano...perfect everything...except brass rail...the kind I'd like in my living room.  Heavy...solid...clean treble.  The fellow is leaning towards doing it right and spending the money.

I am considering just trying to repair the one bad spot...(I put a rough tuning on it and nothing else broke, I brushed across hammers with fingers and no other hammer assemblies are loose).  I also am considering a new brass rail.  I believe Schaff duplicates them or at least did.  Has anyone had experience in this?  Will the new rail with hammers attached still be lined up with strings within reason?  I am concerned about can-of-worms syndrome here.  I've never really been satisfied with the repair clips for rail repairs.  To switch over to traditional wood flanges would entail new butts, rehanging etc...I wonder if I can duplicate just one little section of the rail?  I wonder if I should farm this out to my friend David Love?

Thanks in advance...and I will peruse the archives!

David I.





This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC