[pianotech] A.B.Chase Grand Piano

[Mark Wisner]

I worked on a (1920's?) 6'8""Gerold" grand piano years ago that had this wippen/lever/knuckle arrangement.  The action was marked "Schwander".  The action worked well, but because of wear on the lever leather and the need for new hammers and shanks, I removed the lever and went with a conventional knuckle arrangement.  I remember being elated that I didn't have to make many changes in the action as I was able to get get knuckles that were the same height as the levers I removed.

Mark Wisner 

the >From: "Clark A. Sprague" <csprague4 at woh.rr.com>
>Sent: Nov 25, 2010 8:49 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: [pianotech] A.B.Chase Grand Piano
>
>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.
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>Clark A. Sprague, RPT
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>csprague4 at woh.rr.com
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