1883 Bechstein upright, "standard" pitch/scale tension

[Alan Forsyth]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/related attachment

------=_NextPart_001_00B2_01C4C847.52026B60
To Mike Spalding,

Is this the model with wound trichords in the low tenor and a four =
section plate? I re-did one of these a few years ago; it had a French =
crank action which was extremely difficult to regulate to modern =
specifications. The dampers were wooden affairs and not with wires, so =
no bending was possible. I just tuned it to A440 and didn't worry about =
what the "designed" pitch was meant to be. The soundboard on this piano =
is also the smallest I've ever seen, being cut-off at both ends.




AF
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Michael Spalding=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 8:00 PM
  Subject: 1883 Bechstein upright, "standard" pitch/scale tension



  List,

  Today I'm disassembling an old Bechstein upright for refinish and =
restringing.  Serial number dates it 1883.  Interesting features:  full =
cast plate, including full coverage of tuning pin field.  Wooden =
(mahogany) action brackets, at ends only  (no intermediate brackets).    =
Relatively small for an upright, with only 85 notes.=20

  I would appreciate any insights you might have regarding what pitch it =
would have been designed for.  I've found brief mention of standards =
adopted in 1885 in Vienna (435) and London (455), however C. Bechstein =
was in Berlin.  I would like to evaluate and improve on the scale - =
obviously got to know what pitch to tune it to when I'm done.  The =
existing strings and pins appear uniformly old, but I wouldn't want to =
assume they're original. =20

  thanks for any info on pitch / tension

  Mike

  Michael Spalding
  spalding48@earthlink.net



------=_NextPart_001_00B2_01C4C847.52026B60
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/5a/92/25/f9/attachment.htm

------=_NextPart_001_00B2_01C4C847.52026B60--

---------------------- multipart/related attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 85762 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/46/45/6c/89/attachment.jpe

---------------------- multipart/related attachment--