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<DIV><FONT size=2>I didn't look real close at the wippens - they are new. They
are the model that has the silk strings that hold the end of the wippen springs.
It seemed as though things would regulate reasonably well. She needs key
leveling, clean up letoff and drop, and she has a mile of aftertouch. I didn't
have my gram weights with me, but the action seemed a bit heavy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I hadn't noticed the left-handed opening piano - I see that
now. It looks like a modernish piano - I'll bet the picture is just
inside-out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Antique wood. Yeah, what a hoot. I guess that's why he didn't
replace the soundboard, yet charged her enough for soundboard replacement. You
should'a seen the underneath of that soundboard - looked like ground zero in
southern Manhattan. Cracks, bulges, goo oozing out of cracks, holes, etc., etc.
Well, whatever....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 7/13/2007 4:40:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time, <A
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A>
writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><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
title=http://amadeuspianos.com/projecta.htm
href="http://amadeuspianos.com/projecta.htm">http://amadeuspianos.com/projecta.htm</A> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT
face="Bookman Old Style">
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Terry, how was the action? Those wippens
from that age can be bears - nothing modern fits. I had to make a couple of
jacks and repetition levers to replace the mouse-chewed ones on a Chickering
which I think was from about 1890. Quite a pain, so don't tell me if
there was something I could have bought. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was slightly puzzled/mildly amused at Amadeus's choice of a
left-handed piano to represent their business (top left picture of the site;
the lid appears to open on the bass side. I suppose it's like Paul McCartney's
left-handed guitar). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">And here's something I didn't know
-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P align=center><STRONG> Antique wood carries sound much better, and
lasts longer because of the 50-80 year aging process, unavailable today.
The quality of metalwork for steel and copper-wound strings, in contrast, is
much better today than it used to be 100 years ago. That's why
restored antique pianos sound so much better than new pianos and last far
longer.</STRONG></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Bob
D.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>