Geo. Steck upright

[Farrell]

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"If the top edge of the plate ends at the bottom of the pinblock, it's =
called a three-quarter plate."

Actually, it was a two-step (at least major steps) evolution from the =
3/4 plate to the modern full-web plate. 19th Century pianos were mostly =
3/4 plate with characteristics as you describe. Many pianos within 10 =
years or so of the turn-of-the-Century (i.e. 1900) had open-pinblock =
full plates with the plate extending up to the stretcher. I have a 1902 =
Knabe grand and a 1900 Bechstein grand in my shop now that both have =
this type of full, open-pinblock, plate. I also have a 1893 Knabe plate =
that is the true 3/4 plate - it ends at the pinblock flange. I am =
speaking mostly of American-made pianos here.

Whereas your Steck may be from 1910 or so, without the serial number, a =
better guess would be a manufacturing date of 1900 or before. Another =
good clue is the case of these old uprights. Cases from the 1800s =
commonly have quite a bit of carving on the case - rather ornate. Then =
after 1900 there was an evolution to where by the 1920s the cases were =
commonly very plain with very clean lines. Other good clues to age are =
rocker capstans (almost certainly pre-1900) and straight-strung (way =
pre-1900).

"...many of the pins were very loose, and as I'm tuning it I'm seeing =
that the pinblock is riddled with cracks, which of course helps to =
explains the looseness."

Maybe yes, but probably not a good indicator of pinblock cracks. Every =
open-faced pinblock I have seen has a fancy veneer covering the =
(usually) maple pinblock. I have seen veneers that are cracked =
to-all-get-out with the pinblock in good condition.

Does anyone know whether this is how the piano was actually designed?=20

Yes it is.

And if so, do you have any idea why?

Good question. I don't know. My guess has always been that it was =
perceived as an advantage during the manufacturing process - one could =
be nursing a mean hangover (or be the first day on the job) and still be =
able to figure out where to drill the tuning pin holes. However, keep in =
mind, that full plates were being used on the big square American pianos =
way back in the 1860s.

BTW - are the square plates plate steel or cast iron? They sure seem =
flat and universally smooth ....... leading me to suspect they are plate =
steel (a plate plate or a cast plate?).

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Dave Nereson" <davner@kaosol.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 1:45 AM
Subject: Re: Geo. Steck upright


>=20
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: "David Melis" <pianotunings@juno.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 12:23 PM
> Subject: Geo. Steck upright
>=20
>=20
> > Hello!
> >=20
> > As a first-time poster, new tuner, and total novice in the art and
> > science of piano technology, I have been dutifully taking in all the
> > wisdom, advice, and experience that the many regular contributors to =
this
> > list have to offer.  Thank you for all that I have learned and all =
that I
> > will learn. =20
> >=20
> > This last weekend I tuned a full-size Geo. Steck upright, vintage
> > 1910-15, if the piano tech who last worked on it is correct.  (I did =
not
> > make a note of the serial number, regrettably.  From what the owner =
said,
> > the piano tech who dated it based his/her age estimate on the fact =
that
> > the bass strings are wound with what appears to be steel rather than
> > copper.) =20
>=20
>     While some piano makers went to nickel-plated windings rather than =
copper during wartime (WW I was 1914-1918), sometimes they were used =
just because they were less expensive (I presume).  I've seen nickel =
windings on old pianos from the early 1900's when no war was going on.  =
At any rate, the serial number and an atlas is better for finding the =
year of manufacture (if records are available).
>=20
> In any case, many of the pins were very loose, and as I'm
> > tuning it I'm seeing that the pinblock is riddled with cracks, which =
of
> > course helps to explains the looseness.  It took two hours to get it =
as
> > good as I could, and not until I got home and was thinking about it =
did I
> > realize -- duh! -- that I have never before seen a piano where the
> > pinblock was exposed and not covered by the plate.  How interesting!
>  > Does anyone know whether this is how the piano was actually =
designed?=20
> > And if so, do you have any idea why?  I would love to know more. =20
>  > Best regards,
>  > David G. Melis
> > Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
> > 1512 West Thorndale
> > Chicago, IL  60660
> > (773) 728-9762=20
>=20
> Plenty of pianos, grand and vertical, have exposed pinblock faces.  =
It's mainly in older pianos, but by no means rare.  There's an article =
on exposed (open-face) vs. covered (closed-face) pinblocks in the Jan. & =
Feb. 2002 Journal.  It's more about tuning pins actually, the gist being =
that in an open-face pinblock, the coils can be closer to the surface of =
the pinblock, making for less "flagpoling" than in the closed-face =
pinblock, where the thickness of the plate adds to the amount of =
unsupported tuning pin sticking out of the block.  (Plate bushings add a =
little support, but not much.) =20
>     Yes, this is how it and most early pianos were designed.  If the =
top edge of the plate ends at the bottom of the pinblock, it's called a =
three-quarter plate.  The idea of having the plate extend all the way =
over the pinblock and drilling holes for all the pins came later.=20
>     --David Nereson, RPT=20
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> 
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