neumeyer & co.

[Stephen Airy]

TRIPLE-Overstringing???  This I've GOT to see!  How
was it done?  Anyone got any pictures of this?

--- John Delacour <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk> wrote:
> At 7:33 PM +0100 5/2/02, antares wrote:
> >NEUMEYER. Gebr. Berlin, Germany, 1905
> >
> >That's all it says in the Pierce Piano atlas.
> >
> >Here in Europe Neumeyers are not really
> outstanding, you hardly see them
> >anymore.
> >In the past I have tuned quite a number of them and
> I can remember 
> >that the tuning pins were a problem because the
> drilled holes in the 
> >iron frame were a little narrow or maybe simply too
> small, causing 
> >extra friction between frame and pins. Not a bad
> piano, not a great 
> >piano. sort of middle of the road and probably not
> too expensive in 
> >'those' days.
> 
> Yes, I have never come across a really nice Neumeyer
> but it was a 
> firm that tried some interesting things at different
> times in its 
> history.  The later uprights (post 1900) can be
> quite acceptable and 
> standard, but I've seen earlier Neumeyers with
> triple overstringing 
> (four bridges at different levels) and small grands
> with no bracings 
> and things like that.  I like to see these oddities
> that were finally 
> killed off at the end of the century, like the
> beautifully made old 
> Kaps with Helmholtz resonators in the extreme
> treble.
> 
> Talking of oddities, I finally tracked down an 1870s
> Brinsmead 
> upright with the patent tuning system this week and
> today paid the 
> lady the £100 it's worth to me.  The hammers are
> like new except for 
> the dust, so it will be fun to work on.  The tuning
> "dollies" are 
> parallel with the strings and slidable in a massive
> flange integral 
> with the string plate.  A long hexagonal nut draws
> the dolly up and 
> the string is hooked onto the bottom of it. 
> Everyone who has 
> experience of this system says it's excellent, so I
> hope to confirm 
> that when I've had a good look in a strong light. 
> It looks very 
> solid and tidy, and this piano is pretty well in
> tune after ten years 
> of neglect.
> 
> I'll take some pictures and make them available.
> 
> cf. <http://www.uk-piano.org/history/brin_f4.gif> --
> though mine is 
> quite a bit different.
> 
> JD
> 


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