Hello Michael. Did you read the interesting article of Bob Hohf about Bechstein pinblocks ? It contains interesting comparison between the easy to repair block (modern Steinway) and the one glued to the stretcher and housed in the outer rim (Bechstein and older Steinway). Look at the atricles of PTJ december 1996, february 1997 and march 1997. Best regards from the other side of the channel. Stéphane Collin. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Gamble" <michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk> To: <A440A@aol.com>; <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, May 23, 2005 12:47 PM Subject: Re: Old Steinways > 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 >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > >
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