Small oval tuning tip

[David Boyce]

My copy of The Musicians Piano Atlas (Copyright Omicron Publishing Limited 
1981) has the following information on Strohmenger:

#3010 c.1875
#5000    1895
#7200    1900
#11700  1910
#15890  1920
etc.

Company ceased trading in 1937 Production was continued by various unknown 
manufacturers until 1960.

Let Pierce sue me if they will for putting this information here - I don't 
own and have never owned their book and I didn't get this information out of 
it!

I've tuned a few Strohmengers, but none, so far as I recall, with oval pins. 
I do have an oval head for my Heckschers lever and it seems fairly small but 
I don't know how it compares with those in the US.

Best,

David.

"I posted on this piano a month or so ago looking for a source for a tuning 
tip to fit its pins. I have refined my needs. This is an 85-note English (I 
presume) birdcage action piano made by J. Strohmenger & Sons #4852 (anyone 
got a Pierce Atlas - and a date? I can't find mine.).

It has oblong heads on the tuning pins. The pins are small - I didn't pull 
one, so I'm not sure what size they are, but they look like 1/0 or so. My 
oval tuning tip will turn the pins, but it is quite a bit larger than 
optimal - it gets stuck on the pins because it is too large. My oval tuning 
tip works fine on the large old American square grands.

Does anyone know of where I can get an oval tuning tip that is smaller than 
the standard one available from the supply houses? I've talked to the supply 
houses and harsicord builders and have had no luck.

Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano"