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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I just had a really fine experience, =
and I wanted
to share it with someone who would even get a clue of what I am talking
about.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had the opportunity to tune a =
1845-1850
Chickering 6'4" Grand yesterday. It had had some hard use, and =
smoke
damage earlier in its life, but had been rebuilt in the 1940's with =
Steinway
strings, new hammers, new pin block etc. Hammers had not been =
shaped
since, so I did that, and tuned it. The owner had refinished it =
completely
so that it was impeccable. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What a wonderful instrument. I =
have heard you
guys (and gals) talk about the "Chickering sound" for years (that =
original sound
before the company was sold early in the 20th century). I now know =
what
that sound is, and it is marvelous. Dark & rich; almost devoid =
of
percussiveness; just an unbelieveably gorgeous timber. I took =
photos of it
if anyone would like to see what it looked like. What a pleasure =
to work
with. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The wife of the now deceased former =
owner said that
they had bought it from a boarding house in Dayton, Ohio in 1944, and =
moved
almost immediately to Chicago. It had been in bad shape and they =
had a
German tuner by the name of Carl Moeller do the work. He had been =
having
trouble getting any work at all because of the bias against anything =
German
during the war, and spent much time devoted to the instrument. =
Inside the
piano is a yellowed paper fastened to the case indicating the serial =
number
which was 6744, and the name of "B. Canfra," or "Canpra." Does =
either the
name of the tuner or B. Canfra strike any memory chords with
anyone???</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, it was a major upper for =
me. Thanks
for listening....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed Carwithen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>John Day</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>