<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3132" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I inspected a 1902 Chickering grand the other day - about 6'6" or so. It recently had a "complete belly job" and new action parts at Amadeus Piano in NJ.  <A href="http://amadeuspianos.com/projecta.htm">http://amadeuspianos.com/projecta.htm</A> scroll down about half-way to "Chickering Grand Piano Restored and Refinished for our customers in Florida". I'll be doing some action and damper regulation and tuning - I'm sure all those nice new bass tricords will be a pleasure. Very pretty instrument. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But of course, I couldn't help but nose around the belly a bit.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The web site characterizes the piano's sound as "back to original" and that it has "tremendous sound with plenty of power and beautiful, colorful tone." I would describe the tone as dull, weak, and lifeless. The piano is quiet as a mouse and sustain at C7 is less than one second and at C6 about three seconds. Sucker's dead as a doornail. Treble and bass bridges are cracked up at bridge pins on this "complete belly job" - interesting.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, it had some curious features. Full plate with a full tuning field plate web - but with that Chickering contoured tuning pin area. Wow! The piano has a sawn rim (not laminated) and is very heavily braced underneath (nice!). It also has wooden action brackets. Before I looked up the age, I thought it had to be 1880s or so with the sawn rim and wooden action brackets - but then the cast iron tuning pin field web suggested post-1900. I'm surprised that Chickering had wooden action brackets in 1902. And the bass and treble hammer shanks and wippens are all angled outward - YIKES! - what's that all about?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Interesting Chickering - as they often are.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell<BR>Farrell Piano</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.farrellpiano.com">www.farrellpiano.com</A><BR><A href="mailto:terry@farrellpiano.com">terry@farrellpiano.com</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>