<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>RE: John Broadwood grand</title></head><body> <div>A couple of thoughts. I would doubt the date unless you have looked into it very carfeully, Broadwood serial numbers are confusing to say the least. The main issue is the pinblock, with pins threaded into the plate you may have to plug and redrill using 1/0 pins, larger can make things too close to plate struts and each other. Hammers are best recovered, the original moldings are very light and unless you can duplicate that you will have weight problems in a single escapement action. Shanks are cedar, make your own. Dampers are threaded into the underlevers which are hinged with leather or parchment, handle carefully and take good measurements before disassembling. Butt leather can be critical to a good feel. Be wary of hitch and bridge pins, I have had them break when pulled up to pitch. 435 is open to debate. If you look at the Helmholtz pitch appendix, Broadwood may have tuned as high as 450+. That said, it is my preference to keep old instruments at lower pitch to reduce stress, I like 430 just because it's a convevient early music choice, some prefer 425 ar even 415 for ease of transposing, if necessary. The bass can be nice, the treble often thin and with little sustain, although if you hear a recital on one in a small room you will be surprised how well it carries. They do not sound great at low pitch, I did pull one to 455 a few years back and thought it improved the sound a lot, but was too nervous to leave it there.....</div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div>----Dave<br> <br> <br> -----------------------------<br> Dave Doremus, RPT<br> New Orleans</div> <div>------------------------------</div> <div>On 12/2/04, D.L. Bullock said:</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#0000FF">They are great pianos.   They are wing shaped grands with a corner usually.  Everyone I have seen has been rosewood.  Lovely cases.  They have all the hammer butts strung on a wire.  Every one I have restored was a single escapement action.  Ronsen will duplicate the hammers on it for originality in restoration.  They are very fine instruments otherwise Beethoven would not have used them and we all know he liked them.   It tunes to 435, by the way.</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#0000FF">   </font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#0000FF"> </font><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">-----Original Message-----<br> <b>From:</b> Wesley Hardman [mailto:hardman@hiwaay.net]<br> <b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 01, 2004 8:44 PM<br> <b>To:</b> Pianotech<br> <b>Subject:</b> John Broadwood grand</font><br> <blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1">List,</font></blockquote> <blockquote> </blockquote> </blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Someone called today about a John Broadwood grand that he bought at an auction.  According to his research, the piano was made in 1824.</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> </body> </html>