Q:Kranich & Bach Surprise!?

Jon Page jpage@capecod.net
Sun, 03 Oct 1999 12:57:09 -0400


Sounds like Beauty and the Beast.

As nice as it looks, it is a major headache to work on,
The action brackets alone are a source of aggravation.

Price? Furniture value is going to sell it. 

I shutter just to think of trying to resurrect it.

It would never be worth what one put into it.

Did Conrad ever mention his Brambach. . .    :-)

Jon Page


At 02:23 AM 10/03/1999 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear List:
>
>Most amazing experience today; my partner dragged me off to appraise a 
>"Kronically Botched" (according to a friend of ours) 6' grand for a man who 
>wants to know its value so he can sell it.  Wonders of all wonders, it was a 
>beautiful art case grand made of mahogany everywhere, including solid 
>mahogany legs, lyre, pedal rods, keybed (!), rim and posts!  It has 
>beautiful white ivories.  To top it off, it even sounds good. The pinblock 
>feels good and has torque readings of 55" to 70"lbs.
>
>This leaves me with some important questions:
>
>1.  The action is original except for three jacks (a1, b7 and c8).  It is 
>noisy and the touch is uneven.  I have read in the PTG archives that some 
>have tried replacing the whippens with modified old-style Steinway whippens 
>and am wondering how that worked out?
>
>2.  The sostenuto system looks like a great idea--there is a wooden rail 
>that runs behind the damper wires, a lever moves it toward the damper wire 
>flanges when the pedal is depressed and a piece of plastic? film? leather? 
>that is sandwiched between two parts of the wooden rail engages damper 
>spoons that are mounted on the back of the damperwire flanges.  Does anyone 
>know what that material is and how difficult it would be to replace it?
>
>3.  The soundboard has several minor cracks, but good crown, the long bridge 
>has minor cracks, the bass bridge is good.  It will need restringing; the 
>bass strings are tubby and the wire and pins are quite rusty.  The piano 
>needs refinishing.
>    Given all these considerations, can anyone suggest a reasonable price 
>for the seller to ask?
>
>    Thanks in advance for your input!
>    Diane
>
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>  


This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC