This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An amazing find here, I almost can't believe this one... Yesterday I received a phone call from a lady who says she has a friend = who is trying to find a home for her piano. I ask what it is and her = only answer is "I don't know, just an old piano". She gives me the = first name of her friend and the number. Naturally the first thing that = comes to mind is an old PSO upright that should be burned. So what the = heck, I call. She says that she is moving this weekend and she needs to get this piano = out immediately. Again I ask what it is. "I don't know, just a big = grand" she says. (Okay getting somewhere, it least it isn't an old = upright). Then she says it's 100 years old and it doesn't play. (Here = we go again). Almost reluctantly I agree to swing by and take a look. = The lady lives in one of the worst neighborhoods in Las Vegas, the type = of which you don't dare walk around at night without packing a Smith & = Wesson. I knock on the door and it's this little old lady. She explains that = she is moving to Texas and didn't know what to do with the piano. She = doesn't want any money for it, just wants to get it out of the house = immediately, period. I walk in and almost fall over... What is it? How = about an original Broadwood!!!!!!! I'm talking historic! It could = possibly even qualify as a forte-piano. Read on... The case features hand carved legs and fancy lyre, numerous carved = curves and edges, some accent carved lace on the music rack, all = original and intact. Even the original strings. The fallboard reads = the following elaborately carved into an ivory plaque, (much nicer than = this font, just so you get the idea): PATENT John BRoadwood & Sons Makers To His Majesty & Princess Great Pileney Street, Golden Square London Now for the details: Serial number reads #643. This places it at about 1843. The Pierce = book describes it as a "Cottage Grand" The piano measures 6 feet and 6-1/2 inches long. It is 4 feet 1/4 inch across the front rim. It has 6 -1/2 octaves measuring 3 feet and 7-1/2 inches wide. The original ivory is in remarkable shape, all intact but significant = wear. The tuning pins are the original oval hammered and tapered type, very = primitive looking. The exposed pin block is split badly. The plate (if you can call it that), is light weight and made up of five = independent sections all held together with screws. It does not make = direct contact the pin block. The beams on the bottom are very light weight. They look like about = 3"X3". Rather than agraffs or a capo the strings pass through a continuous = brass rail that extends all the way across the pin block. There are two strings per note including the bass strings. The bass = strings may be steel wound, I need to look closer at this. The rim is made up of four sections. The tail piece is curved part way = and the other sections are rounded with a miter joint concealed below = the veneer to make it appear as if it were one piece. The legs are round and nicely hand carved. They are attached via a = threaded wood dowel through the bottom. The lyre is made to really look like a lyre. There are two pedals, both = wood. The bridges are very delicate and narrow. There is a separate bass = bridge which meets up to the treble bridge at a nearly right angle. The sound board grain goes cross-wise. There are about a dozen cracks = but still all glued, no loose ribs that I noticed The action is amazing. I have not had the opportunity to pull it out = yet. Let-off is adjusted by big oval pins which look similar to the = tuning pins. The hammers are very tiny and delicate as are the dampers. = I will know much more when I pull it out. The biggest concern structurally that I can see is that the spine side, = (lid hinge side), is slightly bent outward. I would guess that this was = caused by tension and probably occurred over 100 years ago. The veneer = is in remarkable shape considering it's age but will still require = substantial repair. Most of the damage is on the tail which appears as = if it might have been against a radiator sometime in it's life. So the little old lady just wants it out and she wants it out now! She = isn't looking for money. Alan Meyer and I rushed over at about 7:30 AM = this morning, packed it up, and headed to the opposite end of town to my = garage where it sits now. To ward off any guilt I gave the lady a = little money toward her moving expenses. She was delighted and gave me = a big hug as if I were her grandson, she couldn't have been happier. SO.... There are the basics, I hope to have some more details soon. My = question right now is can anyone provide some general insight about this = piano's value? I presume this instrument has more museum value than = musical value and would look nice behind velvet ropes. I'm still trying = to believe this actually happened all in about 18 hours from the initial = phone call and didn't cost me anything except my little "thank you" = money I gave her on my way out the door. Comments, info anyone = please... Rob Goodale, RPT Las Vegas, NV ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/85/f0/01/3f/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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