[pianotech] Collard & Collard

Paul Williams pwilliams4 at unl.edu
Tue Nov 27 14:00:16 MST 2012


Question:  Are there makers of period instrument piano wire that might help this piano?  It would be wonderful to get this up to it's former glory! Does Jurgen have such a thing? At least he may know…

Paul


From: John Ross <jrpiano at bellaliant.net<mailto:jrpiano at bellaliant.net>>
Reply-To: "pianotech at ptg.org<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>" <pianotech at ptg.org<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>>
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 2:45 PM
To: "pianotech at ptg.org<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>" <pianotech at ptg.org<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Collard & Collard

If restringing, be careful as 'modern' wire would change the tone.
I remember someone had an older grand redone, and he almost cried when he heard it as they had put new hammers and strings on, and it had changed his piano completely.
If they are thinking hammers, I think I would have Abel recover them, rather than new.
300c flat is too low, find out what the period of manufacture called for in pitch. It might even take A440. Some of the pitches in Europe were above A440.
Hopefully someone more in the know, will have some knowledgeable suggestions.
John Ross
Windso, Nova Scotia.
On 2012-11-27, at 4:04 PM, David Boyce <David at piano.plus.com<mailto:David at piano.plus.com>> wrote:

I went to look at a grand piano for a new client today, and was a bit enthralled by what I found.  It's a 78" piano, with the serial number 9351.

That serial number dates it, remarkably, to about 1826.  The piano is of striking modernity and solidity for such an age.  Just think, it was made when Beethoven was alive!

I am sending some pics over several emails, to let you see some of the details.

The client is considering whether to have the piano case refinished, and I am ruminating over what to advise him about the insides. It is best to have a "minimum intervention" policy, and just clean it up and tune it (it's 300 cents flat, but the pins feel great)?  Or should it go to a rebuilder for a complete job - stringing, case refinishing etc?

The quality of sound is quite remarkable in its fullness and richness. It has bichords quite far up the scale (plain music wire).

At every turn, it displays evidence of thoughtful design - look, for example, at the two little turned handles for pulling out the action!

There is no sign of moth damage.  What do you think is the function of the curious little tabs or tongues, on the backchecks?

Observations welcome!

Best regards,

David.
<C&C Side View.jpg><C&C stringing.jpg><C&C top lid.jpg>


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