A customer I'd not seeen for some years phoned. They have an old Bechstein upright, Number 31359. Last time I tuned it was for her little girl's piano lessons. Her young brother, about 5, had spent a lot of time rifling through my toolbox and I was scared he'd cut or jab himself. "Your two children must be quite grown up now" I said on the phone. "Yes our daughter's a doctor now and our son is away at university!" How the months and years flash past! I tuned it this morning. It's really plumb tuckered out, poor li'l fellow. But when I played it after, there was still the remnant of quite a sweet piano in there. Apparently the piano had originally been bought for the old St. Andrews Halls in Glasgow (destroyed by fire in the 1960s) and it had been used to accompany Miss Adelina Patti performing there. In the afternoon I tuned an old Erard grand, No. 81076 (c1901). It's of very backward-looking, but pretty, French design. A bronze (or brass?) capo d'astro bar with blued steel screws, in style of an old English pocket watch. Straight strung, with bronze covered strings. Plate not an integral casting but with bars and bolts. A quite idiosyncratic action, and underdampers. I was musing over the contrast with the S&S B that I tune in the local theatre, No. 82076. This is actually a few years older than the Erard, but to all intents and purposes a completely modern piano. The Hamburg Steinway looked forward in design, and the Erard looked backward. The theatre S&S was restored by Steinway about 20 years ago and it's wonderful, just lovely.
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC