[pianotech] Vesey Player info

Ron Nossaman rnossaman at cox.net
Wed Dec 1 20:55:37 MST 2010


On 12/1/2010 8:01 PM, Rob McCall wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> I have an evaluation tomorrow of a player piano (player parts have
> been removed many years ago) that has the name "Vesey" and a serial
> number of 154005.

Sorry, it's not a player. Absence of the player makes it just another 
old long dead upright.


> It belonged to the client's grandmother and has tremendous
> sentimental value to the client.  Her grandmother had quit high
> school to work and buy this piano to support her brother's vaudeville
> act and had received a lot of use.

Still an old long dead upright. They didn't try to keep Rex the Wonder 
Dog going for sixty years past his death, did they?


> Anyway, the client inherited this piano and would like to "fix it up"
> and tune it. She is looking for any information (age, manufactured,
> etc.) that she can find.  She believes it is from the Memphis area.

"Fix it up"? This definition will be the core of the matter.


> I looked in the Pierce Piano Atlas (12th edition) and the name isn't
> even in there. I found some references on a google search to talks
> with Baldwin, but this company's name isn't listed with Baldwin.
> Other than a few hits here and there, there isn't much info I can
> find...

Unless someone famous threw up in it, and there is specific 
documentation to that effect, I'd be amazed if you found anything even 
general about it's history. In any case, the history (unless...) is 
totally irrelevant to making it into a piano. If it's an item of family 
reverence, load it with pictures, light candles, and enshrine it as is, 
and as cheaply as possible. If they want an instrument, price a full 
resurrection. If they want an instrument and a player, double the 
estimate and call me. I can likely build you a player for it.

Reality, at some point, will have to be addressed here. Be kind, but 
truthful and thorough. Or blow out the chunks, file the hammers, dip the 
rest in CA, and get the check cashed as quickly as possible.

There's a LOAD of customer education needed here.
Ron N


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