Well.... we had two in our small area. One would be a fluke and two is a red flag for future consideration. That's how I see it.
Beside there are many other candidates far more worthy of this hypothetical scenario being considered. You Know?
Dale S. Erwin
www.Erwinspiano.com
Custom piano restoration
Ronsen piano hammers-sales
R & D and tech support
Sitka soundboard panels
209-577-8397
209-985-0990
-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Sowers <tunerryan at gmail.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sun, Nov 14, 2010 5:12 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Brambach to rebuild?
I do not remember that Brambach's were known for plate failure. That would certainly make one hesitate before taking a project on. Perhaps it would be an argument for lowering the overall tension on the piano. I wonder if the plate problems were a result of a design issue or a casting issue? Or both? How many of these have you actually come across in your years of rebuilding? Is it enough to make a broad generalization? We sometimes have to be careful about extrapolating from a limited sample: There were many hundreds of thousands of these pianos produced.
On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 12:27 PM, Dale Erwin <erwinspiano at aol.com> wrote:
Yeah, I take the point but but my point is that with out the plate... its a pile of firewood with a piano shaped boat anchor attached. Yes one needs a nose to work on or a piano ;)
Dale S. Erwin
0
It wouldn't BE a Brambach after the rebuild - it would be something new! Rescaled with a redesigned belly, new action with Ronsen Wurzen felt hammers, etc.
The point is to showcase the transformation a rebuilder can make with the most famous of the humble brands. Its one thing for a cosmetic surgeon to do a fantastic nose job on Nicole Kidman, another thing to do it on Walter Mattheu (RIP)!
On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 6:59 AM, Dale Erwin <erwinspiano at aol.com> wrote:
-
Coming to this thread late. We have seen more than a few Brambachs over the years with cracked/ broken plates.
This is the first reason why this shop says no to working on them. Second is they are horrible pianos. You can string them and do a hammer transplant and they still sound like .....A Brambach :) AMHIK
Dale S. Erwin
Sent: Sun, Nov 14, 2010 4:13 am
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Brambach to rebuild?
I see and understand your point completely. Yes, the name Brambach certainly does bring instant recognition within this industry. Okay, gotcha!
Terry Farrell
On Nov 12, 2010, at 11:59 AM, Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
> Terry, you're quite right -- the bass has some problems. Still, I've > seen
> worse. With vertical hitches and the right scaling, though, it won't > be a
> "bad" bass; it just won't be the best that can be done in a piano of > this
> size.
>
> I saw all of those problems as well...but they were over-ridden by > that
> wonderful shot of the name "Brambach" cast into the plate. To be > sure, there
> are probably other no-name pianos out there that might be better raw
> material for the ultimate rebuild but none of them will have that > legendary
> name! It is instantly recognizable by any piano technician. And it's > known
> -- absolutely! Positively! -- to be nothing good. The thing is, you > see,
> it's not just that we couldn't possibly expect anything great > because it
> wasn't built by one of the old masters -- we're absolutely convinced > that
> nothing great ever could come out of a Brambach. Ever. Period. Dot. > So if
> something good does come out it must be due to something the > rebuilder did.
> And maybe, just maybe, he/she might be able to do it again.
>
> My reasoning for liking a project such as this goes along these > lines: Given
> a new action and appropriate hammers, a well thought out scale (Of > course I
> have some ideas!) and a competently designed soundboard and bridge > system,
> the bulk of the piano's compass--the three-fourths of the keyboard > compass
> where most pianists spend most of their time -- will be as good as > can be
> achieved in any other piano. Yes, the lowest bass will be a little > less than
> could be done starting with some other platform; even so, I can see
> comparing the low bass with new pianos (of similar size) costing > upwards of
> $55K. And, quite frankly, I'd be pleased if a potential client had > gone out
> and shopped some of the well-known and very high-end pianos before > coming to
> see my low-life Brambach. I might even suggest it....
>
> ddf
>
> Delwin D Fandrich
> Piano Design & Fabrication
> 620 South Tower Avenue
> Centralia, Washington 98531 USA
> del at fandrichpiano.com
> ddfandrich at gmail.com
> Phone 360.736.7563
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] > On Behalf
> Of Terry Farrell
> Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 5:04 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Brambach to rebuild?
>
> Hi Del - I looked at those pictures and one thing I noted what that > the bass
> section had a short backscale, the bass bridge has an apron, and the > tenor
> hitch pins are very close to the bass bridge. All suggesting to me > that it
> would be rather difficult to move the bass bridge forward much if > any at
> all. Seems to me that even if you cut a redesigned soundboard free > at the
> foot, although some improvement in tone might be had, the short > backscale
> would still tend to cause that nasty constrained nasal tone in the > bass.
> Would it not be better to find a different old no-name clunker that > might
> better lend itself to redesign improvements?
>
> Looking again at the photo of the bass bridge area, I see there is > an apron
> of plate iron forward of the tenor hitch pins (in front of the bass > bridge).
> If that is full-thickness, I suppose you could move those pins > forward a bit
> - assuming more notes would be destined for a transition bridge. > Still seems
> a bit cramped in that area though, and my guess is that the apron > thins. But
> then again, I suppose all this is a problem common to most small > grands. But
> perhaps some lend themselves to improvements more that others (like > this
> one)?
>
> Terry Farrell
>
--
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net
--
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net
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