[pianotech] A.B.Chase Grand Piano

[JWyatt1492 at aol.com]

Hello Clark,
 
      This action was  ( I think)  used  only by A. B. Chase. At least I
have never seen or heard of it in any other  brand.
 
   Chase probability had it made custom by W.N.G.. I have never  found
a pat. number to verify this..  I read a piece that Morris  Steinert wrote 
where
he mention this invention.  The most notable thing about  this action that
I found (even old and worn) was that it was still  operating  quietly.   
 
    I built a model of this action with original parts.  It  on display in 
the PTG
Foundation Museum in  K. City now  along with 30  odd other rare models.    
    The parts I  have came from a model T T-1  A.  B. Chase which  is a 
6'1".
 
  Clark, I would like to know what model yours is. It is  usually cast in 
the
plate extreme back, bass side.  It helps to know exactly what piano we  are
discussing and the Ser. #.
   
  As a side note based of 50 odd years as a rebuilder  is that  A.B.Chase 
is 
one of the very best grands ever built.   
 
   Also,  Walter Lane of "Bush @ Lane"  worked for  the  A. B. Chase Co. 
for four years before starting to make the best uprights ever  built. 
 
Regards,
 
Jack Wyatt
Dallas Chapter
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/25/2010 8:58:38 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
csprague4 at woh.rr.com writes:

Happy Thanksgiving to one and  all.  We all have something to be thankful 
for.  These pictures are  from the 1890-95 A.B. Chase that I just bought 
(serial #31241).  This  beast is Victorian style, rosewood case (needs veneer 
repairs), 7 ½  feet  long.  The things I noticed were:  the beams underneath 
are  MASSIVE,  and look like oak, the belly rail looks like oak too.  The  
inner and outer rim are MASSIVE, and it has a beam that runs cross-wise across 
 the width of the piano, about at the midpoint of the soundboard.  The  
thing has 15 ribs under the board, in a straight array.  The pictures of  the 
knuckle and whippen are an arrangement I have never seen before.  Has  
anybody else seen this?  The knuckle is a wooden “hump” under the shank,  and the 
interface on the whippen is another lever, on the top of the  repetition 
lever, and the jack lines up underneath that.  Does anyone  have an idea what 
that was all about?  I looked at the bridges, no  apparent cracks, and the 
treble bridge is fairly straight, without any really  apparent doglegs.  I 
think this could be rebuilt and be a whopper piano  for someone?  Anybody out 
there interested?  I haven’t moved it yet,  and don’t have any more 
pictures at this time.  More to come soon, upon  request. 
Clark A. Sprague, RPT 
_csprague4 at woh.rr.com_ (mailto:csprague4 at woh.rr.com) 
 
 

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