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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Dale,</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#000000 face="Times =
New Roman"
lang=0 size=3 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
=
FAMILY="SERIF"> &n=
bsp;
I was just catching up on some old mail and found this. As to your =
question as
to wether the Wissner is a direct Stwy clone of 1933 vintage I wanted =
to point
out 1933 vintage Stwy D's had uneven speaking lengths in the first =
capo
section and , yes uneven duplex speaking lengths as
well.</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" FAMILY="SERIF">Cool! =
Everyone's been
staring at me strangely when I've told them this. My Wissner's =
speaking
lengths are uneven throughout both capo sections, although the =
unevenness in the
second section is minor. The lower and upper ends of the capo =
bar are
approx. 5 degrees different in angle.</FONT></DIV>
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0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#000000 face="Times =
New Roman"
lang=0 size=3 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
=
FAMILY="SERIF"> =
From
conversations with others the idea was to create a different tone =
color but
itconsequently sacrificed power.</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" FAMILY="SERIF">I believe my piano =
may suffer
somewhat in power in the first capo section, although not all that much, =
IMO. Of course I don't really know the power the piano would =
deliver if
the unisons were equal length.</FONT></DIV>
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0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#000000 face="Times =
New Roman"
lang=0 size=3 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" =
FAMILY="SERIF"> On the
S&S D I'm currently installing a new belly system and decided to =
change it
back to even lengths as most Ds end up in large venues that require
power.</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" FAMILY="SERIF">Fortunately my =
piano doesn't
have the same power demands -- although it's quite powerful. How =
does one
alter the capo bar, anyway? Is it a matter of grinding off the old =
one,
grinding a new bar, and affixing it with epoxy? This would be a =
job for
long in the future, if ever, but I would like to keep this remedy on my =
wish
list.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#000000 face="Times =
New Roman"
lang=0 size=3 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" =
FAMILY="SERIF">I was curious
since Wissners are varitible clones if yours had this feature? Also =
,not
having had the pleasure of seeing any of these pianos here on the west =
coast ,
does it really sound like a S&S D or =
close?</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Off hand, I would say "yes." Bear =
in mind
that my piano has a lot of problems that have not yet been addressed, =
but it has
a very promising sound to it -- very rich and full, and yes, very
powerful. If you ever come through Columbus, OH, I'd be happy to =
show it
to you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial lang=0 size=2
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" FAMILY="SERIF">My Wissner =
originally had a
Nickel action, and I suspect there are some scaling differences. I =
have
quite a number of wound trichords in the bass, for instance (7 single, 4 =
double,
9 triple), and the breaks might be positioned slightly differently -- =
20/21,
51/52, 68/69. The frame piece to which the capo bar is =
attached
(forget the terminology) extends all the way to the bass (sans the capo =
bearing
points below the treble, of course). I don't know if the vintage =
D's also
had this feature. As far as I can tell, everything else is very =
much like
a D. Let's just say it's similar enough that an unscrupulous =
technician
was interested in purchasing the piano to restore it and sell it as a
counterfeit D, complete with Steinway decals, removal of the cast =
"Wissner"
logo on the plate, etc. Fortunately I came along and rescued it =
before
that could happen. <wink></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#000000 face="Times =
New Roman"
lang=0 size=3 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" =
FAMILY="SERIF"> I wonder
if Wissner was sued or bought out.</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have heard very little about =
Wissner's
history. I suspect Otto Wissner was very much a one-man show and =
was
probably therefore a terrible businessman. It comes across in an =
earlier
catalog of his that I have. He was also apparently preoccupied =
with
building in quality that his customers may not have even =
needed or
wanted -- e.g. tropicalization. I don't get the impression he =
would be the
sort who could be bought out, for instance by the American Piano =
Company.
It's not difficult for me to imagine how his business perished. =
Again, I
don't have much in the way of facts. It's just a "feeling" I have =
about
the man.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>It is my understanding that =
Wissner and
Steinway had a very good relationship. Wissner once worked in the =
Steinway
plant, studying Steinway's manufacturing practices, and then with =
Steinway's
blessings he opened his own factory down the road. I have heard, =
but don't
know if it's true, that Wissner and Steinway might even have =
manufactured some
parts for each other.<FONT color=#000000 lang=0
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> =
Wissner
wasn't capable of turning a tiny fraction of Steinway's volume, so I =
don't think
he was of particular concern to Steinway. He of course also didn't =
have
the name.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for the feedback regarding the =
vintage
D. Please let me know how the replacement capo works =
out!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#000000 lang=0
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Peace,</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#000000 lang=0
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Sarah</DIV></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>