<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.3502.5390" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Rob, Sorry about the late response. If you are still looking for info, I would suggest that you contact John Watson at the Colonial Williamsburg foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. John is one of the most informed persons in the country about the early English double action fortepiano.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Good luck, ( although it appears you already have it)  Terry Neely<BR><BR><BR>-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Rob Goodale <RRG@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU><BR>Sent: Nov 7, 2003 5:21 PM <BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org <BR>Subject: OOheeee! An Increadible find. Need info please <BR></DIV><BR><!DOCTYPE xHTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD xHTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><XHTML><XHEAD><XMETA content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"><XMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name="GENERATOR"> <STYLE></STYLE> <XBODY bgColor="#ffffff"> <DIV><FONT size=2>An amazing find here, I almost can't believe this one...</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Yesterday I received a phone call from a lady who says she has a friend who is trying to find a home for her piano.  I ask what it is and her only  answer is "I don't know, just an old piano".</FONT> <FONT size=2>She gives me the first name of her friend and the number.  Naturally the first thing that comes to mind is an old PSO upright that should be burned.  So what the heck, </FONT><FONT size=2>I call.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>She says that she is moving this weekend and she needs to get this piano out immediately.  Again I ask what it is.  "I don't know, just a big grand" she says.  (Okay getting somewhere, it least it isn't an old upright).  Then she says it's 100 years old and it doesn't play.  (Here we go again).  Almost reluctantly I agree to swing by and take a look.  The lady lives in one of the worst neighborhoods in Las Vegas, the type of which you don't dare walk around at night without packing a Smith & Wesson.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I knock on the door and it's this little old lady.  She explains that she is moving to Texas and didn't know what to do with the piano.  She doesn't want any money for it, just wants to get it out of the house immediately, period.  I walk in and almost fall over... What is it?  How about an original Broadwood!!!!!!!  I'm talking historic!  It could possibly even qualify as a forte-piano.  Read on...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The case features hand carved legs and fancy lyre, numerous carved curves and edges, some accent carved lace on the music rack, all original and intact.  Even the original strings.  The fallboard reads the following elaborately carved into an <U>ivory plaque</U>, (much nicer than this font, just so you get the idea):</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5>PATENT</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5>John BRoadwood & Sons</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5>Makers To His Majesty & Princess</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5>Great Pileney Street, Golden Square</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=center><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting" size=5>London</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Now for the details:</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Serial number reads #643.  This places it at about 1843.  The Pierce book describes it as a "Cottage Grand"</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>The piano measures 6 feet and 6-1/2 inches long.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>It is 4 feet 1/4 inch across the front rim.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>It has 6 -1/2 octaves measuring 3 feet and 7-1/2 inches wide.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>The original ivory is in remarkable shape, all intact but significant wear.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>The tuning pins are the original oval hammered and tapered type, very primitive looking.  The exposed pin block is split badly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>The plate (if you can call it that), is light weight and made up of five independent sections all held together with screws.  It does not make direct contact the pin block.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>The beams on the bottom are very light weight.  They look like about 3"X3".</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Rather than agraffs or a capo the strings pass through a continuous brass rail that extends all the way across the pin block.</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2>There are two strings per note including the bass strings.  The bass strings may be steel wound, I need to look closer at this.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The rim is made up of four sections.  The tail piece is curved part way and the other sections are rounded with a miter joint concealed below the veneer to make it appear as if it were one piece.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The legs are round and nicely hand carved.  They are attached via a threaded wood dowel through the bottom.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The lyre is made to really look like a lyre.  There are two pedals, both wood.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The bridges are very delicate and narrow.  There is a separate bass bridge which meets up to the treble bridge at a nearly right angle.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The sound board grain goes cross-wise.  There are about a dozen cracks but still all glued, no loose ribs that I noticed</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The action is amazing.  I have not had the opportunity to pull it out yet.  Let-off is adjusted by big oval pins which look similar to the tuning pins.  The hammers are very tiny and delicate as are the dampers.  I will know much more when I pull it out.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The biggest concern structurally that I can see is that the spine side, (lid hinge side), is slightly bent outward.  I would guess that this was caused by tension and probably occurred over 100 years ago.  The veneer is in remarkable shape considering it's age but will still require substantial repair.  Most of the damage is on the tail which appears as if it might have been against a radiator sometime in it's life.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>So the little old lady just wants it out and she wants it out now!  She isn't looking for money.  Alan Meyer and I rushed over at about 7:30 AM this morning, packed it up, and headed to the opposite end of town to my garage where it sits now.  To ward off any guilt I gave the lady a little money toward her moving expenses.  She was delighted and gave me a big hug as if I were her grandson, she couldn't have been happier.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>SO....  There are the basics, I hope to have some more details soon.  My question right now is can anyone provide some general insight about this piano's value?  I presume this instrument has more museum value than musical value and would look nice behind velvet ropes.  I'm still trying to believe this actually happened all in about 18 hours from the initial phone call and didn't cost me anything except my little "thank you" money I gave her on my way out the door.  Comments, info anyone please...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Rob Goodale, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Las Vegas, NV</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT 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