[pianotech] Unusual piano, maybe

[Dale Erwin]

 I second that Please

 

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: Delwin D Fandrich <del at fandrichpiano.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Thu, Oct 7, 2010 3:29 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Unusual piano, maybe


It would be interesting to see a few pictures of this piano. Any chance?

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 Ron Nossaman
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 2:42 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Unusual piano, maybe

Hi Jack,

I got a call about this thing this afternoon, followed by an email. Are you
interested? I haven't seen it, but I'll go look if it might be a worthwhile
addition to the museum.

Ron N


> Dear Ron,  It was good talking with you this morning.  Glad I decided 
> to call the number listed in the Piano Technicians Guild web site 
> after not hearing back from my prior email to that link for you. The 
> piano sitting in my sister's Wichita house is the prototype piano made 
> by my father Ralph Wolfe in the 1950's.  Dad owned and operated the 
> Wolfe Music Company at 817 W. Douglas,  then moved to 901 W.
> Douglas, a store on N. Market just north of Douglas, and another store 
> near Oliver, I believe Town East? Though nearly blind, Dad was an 
> inventive man who designed a piano soundboard capable of producing the 
> sound of a baby grand inside a spinet piano framework.  Dad worked 
> with a local metal smith and a woodworker to build his first piano.  
> Dad called his invention the "Supersonic Consogrand".  He contracted 
> with the Stark Piano company in Chicago to mass produce pianos for 
> him.  I believe Dad was the only source for buying these pianos.  
> During his lifetime Dad sold about 1000 of these special pianos.  
> Between my sisters and myself I believe we have the blueprints, a 
> steel template for the soundboard, some photos, newspaper ads, 
> contracts, and communications between patent offices and Stark. This 
> piano has been sitting inside my sister's house for the past 42 years.  
> During the last 12 years of her life, Arlene was wheelchair bound and 
> not able to care for her home.  Her husband was in poor health too, 
> and for the last 5 years of his life neither of them could do much 
> beyond visit doctors, and handle their basic needs.  Their house fell 
> into serious disrepair, as did the contents.
> John died in January and Arlene died in July of this year.  I am the 
> court appointed administrator of Arlene's estate.  As such, it is my 
> duty to liquidate the assets of her estate. The piano has some serious 
> defects which might cost considerable amount to restore.  Bob Bruner 
> came to the house last September to give me his opinion and estimate 
> for repair and restoration.  At that time he suggessted between $600 - 
> $1,000, and without a guarantee.  There are cracks in the wood behind 
> the soundboard, cracks in the bridges, rust on the tuning pins, and 
> the felt pads are brittle.  The piano frame is dirty but otherwise in 
> pretty good shape considering the environment it's held these past 
> years. My two older sisters and I all have pianos of our own and don't 
> need a second one.  Thus, we'd like to find a new home for this 
> special piano.  In our conversation you mentioned a music museum in 
> Kansas City that might be the recipient of the piano.
> If that is a good possibility I'm certain I could persuade my sisters 
> to consider that option. The house in which the piano now sits is to 
> be sold and torn down to make way for a parking lot for the school 
> across the street.  That action should take place within the next
> 30-60 days.  So, there is a timing element to this offer. Please let 
> me know what you learn from your discussion with Jack Wyatt.  I can be 
> reached via this email address or via my home phone: 503-297-1483.
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> YT,  Corlene Blue
corleneblue at comcast.net


 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20101008/b5f5a5aa/attachment.htm>