Odd Specimen

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Tom,
             Sounds like an English Bird cage from your sparse description.
 Is it straight strung? And are the dampers above the hammer line?



At 06:37 PM 22/06/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Greetings, List,
>  I went to look at a "piano" ( some of you will call it a PSO ), today.  
>The owners are wondering about its origins.  Perhaps someone out there can 
>help.  Here's a description:
>
>  - The case is fairly ornate, with a carved latice work on the front board 
>and this is backed with cloth.  The overall dimensions are a 47 3/4 inch 
>length and height.  The keyboard contains 64 keys, and the key buttons are 
>curved pieces glued on;  the keys look carved to some extent.  The "capstan" 
>device is a screw, with a flap of felt over top.
>
>  - The back is rather strange, as no back posts are visible.  There appears 
>to be a wooden frame with a cross member running horizontally at the 
>midpoint;  again, there is cloth inside this frame.
>
>  - There is a soundboard, however, it too is in a frame the edges of which 
>are about 5 inches inside the edge of the sides of the case.
>
>  - The plate is a 3/4 type with the tuning pins in a wooden panel.  There 
>are struts between D30/D#31,E44/F45, F#58/G59,with wound bass starting at 
>D30.
>
>  - All the tenor and treble notes are formed by 2-string unisons.
>
>  - There is only one pedal, and it is for sustain.  The action frame is all 
>wood, and is held in place with small wooden pieces which turn and tighten 
>in a wooden slot - much like the way some front boards of old uprights are 
>held in place.  A double flange is used in the action, with the hammer on 
>one side, and the damper lever held on the other pin by a brass plate and 
>screw.
>
>  - There is no exterior decal (although the piano appears to have been 
>refinished), and an inspection showed no manufacturer markings anywhere.  
>There is a production number (17171) stenciled on the plate.
>
>    All in all, a rather strange piece of machinery ( in my experience ).  
>Two other items:  the piano was owned by this family's parents in Colorado, 
>and there is a tuner signature inside the piano that appears to be S.G. 
>Suisa, dated May 7/14.
>
>    It's one of those "family curiosity" situations, so anyone who has any 
>thoughts on the piano's origin is encouraged to respond.
>
>                                               Sincerely,
>                                              Tom Dickson
>
>
>
>
>
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> 
Roger Jolly
Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
Saskatoon and Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505