Old Steinways

[Michael Gamble]

Hello Ed and List
I am contemplating re-stringing an S&S "D" Nr.63388. It was built in the 
Hamburg factory on January 18th. 1890 and shipped to the UK. There it was 
bought by the grandfather of my client as a 21st birthday present. "What 
would you like for your 21st birthday, my daughter? Choose anything! Money 
is no object!" reply "I want a Steinway Concert Grand Grandpapa" So that's 
why I have to contemplate re-stringing it. Believe it or not the hammers and 
rollers are in quite good shape! However, Ed., I was wondering where, in the 
annals of that S&S learning curve you mention, did my 1890 "D" fit?
Shall I have troubles with the block and stretcher assembly? Question 
(considering the difference in piano nomenclature between the US and the UK) 
what part of the S&S is the "block and stretcher assembly"?(I'm glad I asked 
tht question:-)
Regards from a beautifully sunny but windy day in the Sussex Downs Village
Michael G.(UK)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <A440A@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2005 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: Old Steinways


> Phil writes:
>
> << All this talk about old Steinways (pre-1875) are coming in very handy
>
> right now since I have a 7' 1865 in my shop as I type.
>
> What I find so fascinating about these instruments, or any instrument
>
> made before the Industrial Revolution is the fact that they were made
>
> before the Industrial Revolution. I'm sure we could all learn quite a
>
> bit by going back in time for a time for a look-see into how they did it. 
>  >>
>
> Greetings,
>   Ah yes, we can learn a lot. Specifically, how not to make a piano.  That
> is what the Steinways did between 1853 and around 1880.  There are a lot 
> of
> things in these pianos that the makers realized needed to be changed.
>   One of the most important things I have learned about these pianos is 
> how
> weak the block and stretcher assembly is.  I had the factory rebuild a 
> type 3
> piano from about 1870.  Even after they had done all the work to spec. , 
> the
> stretcher still bowed up terribly when the piano was under tension.  It 
> isn't
> very stable, tuning wise, either!
>    Dale Irwin writes of maybe addressing this with a Falconwood stretcher,
> but I would suggest finding some way of getting some steel in there. Maybe 
> a
> heavy piece of angle iron that could be let into the stretch/block before 
> it is
> installed?  Somehow, more resistance needs to be found to the rotational 
> force
> upon the pinblock when all the strings are pulling.
>     I don't think it always true that the older the better.  I believe 
> that
> the first pianos coming out of Steinway were designs in progress, and the
> really great pianos happened after they had finished their learning curve.
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Ed Foote RPT
> http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
> www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>
>