Does this mean all M&H's before Gertz were screwstringers? Since neither man were"pianomen" they were a composer and reed organ builders, does anyone know who designed their first pianos? James Grebe R.P.T. from St. Louis pianoman@inlink.com "Take me through the darkness to the break of the day" ---------- > From: Tom Cole <tcole@cruzio.com> > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: query > Date: Sunday, October 19, 1997 8:52 PM > > pianoman wrote: > > > > Since we are on the current thread of screwstringers, does anyone know who > > invented or patented the system? Since M&H started piano making in around > > 1883 were their first pianos screwstringers also? If not, has anyone seen > > a pre-1895 M&H grand that wasn't a screwstringer? What about the uprights, > > did they use screwstringing also or the norm? I have only tuned 1 > > screwstringer (grand) in my life, many years ago, and the one I tuned was > > not a memorable or impressive experience. I think M&H expertise before > > Gertz was just not there but lay in their reed organs. > > James Grebe > > R.P.T. from St. Louis > > pianoman@inlink.com > > "Take me through the darkness to the break of the day" > > .- > > James, > > The few sources I have don't give much information about the screw > stringer mechanism. They mostly discuss Richard W. Gertz and his > development of new scale designs and the tension resonator for Mason & > Hamlin with only a passing mention of the screw stringer idea harking > "back to Taskin's similar invention, previously imitated by Pleyel, > Brinsmead and others...". Presumably, the idea was abandoned early on > and therefore not much is mentioned on the subject. Taskin was a French > harpsichord maker so the invention must go back 100 plus years before > Gertz. > > I have one reference listing the first Mason & Hamlin uprights being > built in 1881, grands shortly thereafter. > > I had a friend who owned a M & H screw stringer upright. I don't recall > the year it was made. > -- > Thomas A. Cole RPT > Santa Cruz, CA >
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