Hello, On Erards the date and serial number is stamped on the last left whippen (first bass). The thump you felt while moving out the action was probably one of the brass "violin screws" from the blocks that where not lowered enough . Assuming the hammers are low, no problem to pull out the action (there are even 2 nice holes in the wooden action brackets to hold it firmly. The under damper is usually not a problem to get out and in, the damping stay good even after that, you will find numbers, signatures and dates from the factory and the following techs located there most often. But a lot of repairs are possibly due on the action, springs, felts , leather catchers (very important to have them thick enough) , white very thin antelope leather on the top of the whippen, and so on. Never use modern wire or even try to restring those, if the wire don't break . The pin block can be plugged, everything is so tightly inserted in those instruments that any structural repair is very difficult and need more accuracy than you may imagine. I don't know for all the areas, but the one I have seen that where restringed lately with the last stocks of Firmini wire have a very pleasing tone, rich spectra and a very round tone as well - not very strong but as the medium range is very present you have that impression of power (like the tone from the advertisings). The soundboards where pre curved ribs so a full crown and normal full down bearing is not unrealistic at all (while rare of course). Straight grain, very often a large crack under the bass brace all along, some time no crack at all, sometime an amazing tone despite the crack (with a little weakness at the beginning of the bass because of it) The treble is always weak , also because of the thick hammer and strike point, but some models have the treble bridge inserted in the rim, I suppose it does not help much but I am unsure of that - a nice tone is possible but no dynamics. When one have not collapsed it is really worth to be regenerated, even, if that mean a lot of work (almost double of an usual action) Keys have often pulley, and if you use some moisture to unglue the bushings, better hold them tight together in a panel press or a device, so they don't warp. You can have the hammers refelted in France , for a reasonable price (ask me the address). Latest models (1930..)have a round shank where one can have new heads if specially made for you (Ronsen may very certainly do those very well. You can help the "catchers" raising them a few mm so the checking is higher, originally it is very low, gives strength but a springy feeling, and a difficult to regulate perfectly action. The whippen springs are acting on a silk cord that is often too worn ad gives a lot of friction. They are easy to replace for a good benefit of the springs. Finding a strong enough but very thin leather to install on the top of the whippen lever is very difficult. Antelopes are cruelly missing in the neighborhood, for some tym I thought it was some fish skin used nut no, I have seen the use of ship skins, and the quality used did not stand the friction long enough. You may need also some parchment, brass wire to produce springs, very thin bushing cloth (1 mm) and thin cauls (8.5 mm if memory serves, Spurlock caulks are too large for those keyboards). Hope it helps - I have some pictures of an action being repaired, and of some instrument(s) as well. I will send them to Jean Louchet asap ( : http://fractales.inria.fr/~louchet/perso/music+/pleyel.html. ) Best regards. Isaac OLEG Not finding much time as usual ... Hope it helps. -----Message d'origine----- De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la part de Bob Hull Envoye : vendredi 25 juin 2004 07:28 A : Pianotech Objet : Re: Erard evaluation Stephen, Concerning the Erard evaluation, I will get the photos developed and hopefully scanned in and posted. I don't think Pierce indicates Paris or London associations with the listed serial numbers. I may go back and measure some string lengths - but it will be a couple of weeks. Anthing else I should take note of on the next trip? I believe there were 4 longitudinal bars and no cross braces - I need to double check to be sure. It seems like a waste for this instrument to not be in good condition. Thanks for your input. Bob > Bob reported: > > >here's more info on the Erard: > >The serial no. is 3947. According to Pierce Atlas > that > >would put it between 1810 and 1815. > > Something odd with that methinks. From your > description it sounds > much later. Are you sure that Pierce is referencing > London Erards > here? > > > > I didn't do any string > >diameter measuring,- I should have. > > String lengths would have told a lot, even if you > only have one C > string it can give a quick and dirty date. > > > You used the term echelle > >which is a new term to me. > > That's the early version of the Erard action, the > one he invented and > first produced in 1823. The echelle is on account of > the resemblance > to a ladder - there's a not-very-clear photo on my > website at > http://real.uwaterloo.ca/~sbirkett/piano%20action.htm. > > These were retrofitted (by the factory) in the 1840s > using the the > new version of the action, so not many of the > echelle type are extant. > > > Photos would be useful. Please post. > > > Stephen > -- > Dr Stephen Birkett > Associate Professor > Department of Systems Design Engineering > University of Waterloo > Waterloo, Ontario > Canada N2L 3G1 > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail _______________________________________________ pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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