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<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Evaluated a =
1900 Haines
Bros. upright yesterday. Many quality features evident in the action,
etc. Magnificent case with beautiful carvings and moldings--all =
intact. The
only cabinet damage is areas of veneerial disease (chipped off
pieces) along the bottom of each side.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Some unusual
things:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Has stickers =
about 4" long
that attach to the wippen AND the key with center pins through =
birds' eyes.
There are no capstans, per se, but the stickers attach to short =
rocker arms
at the back of the key. Each rocker (?) has two adjustment screws
. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>The =
action brackets
attach to the long frame bolts in the usual way but are also screwed =
down to the
key bed, four brackets with two screws each. So removing the action =
requires removing 4 bolts and 184 screws, most of which cannot be =
reached with
an electric screwdriver! Some will need to be loosened with an offset
screwdriver then taken out by hand and the screws at the back of the =
action
brackets require a screwdrive that can reach all the way down =
through the
action. Removing the keys requires unscrewing 176 very inconvenient =
screws.
Sheesh.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>The wound bass =
strings are
steel, I believe, because under the dampers they are very shiny but =
definitely
silver colored, not brass, and they appear a little skinnier than one =
might
expect. Restrung during WWII is my guess. Oddly, though, if you =
take them
down and beat on them to loosen the dirt and stuff, they sound pretty =
darn
good! </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>The bass =
strings do not
turn around pins at the top, as is so common in modern pianos. They =
have
their own pressure bar and v-bar. The pins are in-line so the =
strings are
dead straight from the bridge to the tuning pins.</FONT> <FONT
face=Arial>There are 6 thin wound trichords on the long bridge and =
plain wire
from E3 up.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>There are no =
collars around
the tuning pins. The prospective buyer asked if that was a bad thing and =
I just
said, "Well Steinway doesn't use them."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Pin block is =
tunable but
not tight--may be a problem in the dry season. There is a stain that =
suggests it
was doped at one time and the spilled stuff was wiped off (more like =
"smeared
around") with a rag. I'm thinking that it's a good candidate for CA, =
especially
since it has no collars.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Keytops are in =
great shape,
maybe slightly yellowed, no chips or splits. One-piece tops. Not ivory, =
not
modern plastic. Probably not original, either. Ivorine? Might be old =
plastic
from the 60's or something.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>This piano =
might be a
hobbyist or rebuilder's dream but I will just be making it work for =
the
owner's children to take lessons on. They are buying it for $350 if I =
don't
scare them with problems and costs.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Soundboard, =
ribs, frame,
plate all damage free. Long bridge has one tiny eyelash crack and =
one kinda
big one. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>The bass =
bridge,
however, is a mess. It is doglegged with eleven monochords along a
horizontal section and 14 bichord pairs on a section that angles up =
about 20
degrees. It is capped and the cap, at least, is all cracked up with =
severe
splits, not surprisingly, at the dogleg bend, where it is also slighty =
seperated
from the bridge. It all sits on an apron with about a 6 inch
offset.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>I've never =
recapped a
bridge or made a new one and I don't want to start with this baby. =
Anyone who
might be interested in doing this for me, please email me privately with =
an
estimate and any information you need, etc. <A
href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">tune4u@earthlink.net</A> =
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT =
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>Also, anyone =
with some
knowledge or experience on this brand from this era, please share =
your
thoughts. It really appears to have been a high-end piano even though, =
at that
time, they were constructed for Haines Bros. by Winter & Co. (pre =
Aeolian,
natch').</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003><FONT face=Arial>If you want to =
replace
steel-wound strings, do the string makers know how to make equivalents =
in
brass?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828084319-03082003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. =
Barnard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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