<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>All looks original to me.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=thetuner@ivories52.com href="mailto:thetuner@ivories52.com">Geoff Sykes</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:Pianotech@Ptg. Org">Pianotech@Ptg. Org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 07, 2006 9:37 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Lovely birdcage - what to do?</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>Greetings all --</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>I had my first birdcage yesterday. I think I lucked out. Yeah, difficult to work on, but considering it is probably over 100 years old the thing looked practically new. A Carl H. Hintz, made in Germany. I could not find a serial number but a medallion on the fall board says 1900. See below for links to the photos I took.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>The woman who owns this piano inherited if from her mom about 30 years ago. She says that her family purchased it from it's previous owner when she was six. My guess is that translates to about 50 years ago. The current owner has played it but claims she has never had it tuned or any other work performed on it since she took ownership 30 years ago. Had I not already seen this piano before agreeing to work on it I might have had second thoughts about the job. But the thing is gorgeous and I wanted to add birdcage experience to my accomplishments. </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>The piano is clean and in incredibly good shape. It's obvious that sometime just prior to my customer receiving the piano some <STRONG>major</STRONG> work was done on it. New strings, pins, bridges, hammers, felts etc. Since it has been played for 30 years the hammers need reshaping but all the rest of the felt is almost like new. </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>Aside from sharing the photos of this piano I also have a couple of questions. The only thing apparently NOT replaced or repaired on this piano was the pinblock. Which actually sort of makes sense. And while it is unquestionably on the loose side it will actually, just barely, hold a tuning. For how long...? </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>Even a good piano, after 30 years, is not going to sound even remotely good. This one definitely sounded dreadful. A4 was at 409. I was advised by a couple of techs NOT to attempt a pitch raise but to just bring it into tune wherever it already was. They said that the piano was never designed to be tuned to 440 and chances are the soundboard and/or plate could sustain damage if I tried to bring it up to that. I brought it up to 415 only because that was as low as I could get PRCT to go. And it held. And she was happy.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=562033900-08012006> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV></SPAN></FONT><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Question 1:</STRONG> Given the overall great condition of the rest of the piano, is it a candidate for a thin CA glue treatment to the pins to improve tuning stability?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006> <DIV><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Question <SPAN class=562033900-08012006>2</SPAN>:</STRONG> <SPAN class=562033900-08012006>Should the answer to question 1 be yes, w</SPAN>hat pitch should this piano realistically be tuned to?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>The owner is willing to put "some" money into making it play better because even in tune the worn hammers make it sound pretty funky. Is it worth it? In fact, what do you people think this piano is worth?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>The following photos are for reference to my above questions, and your enjoyment.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>This is a front view of the piano, with everything in place. I noticed that the left and right panels had the screw holes filled where the candelabras used to be. Had I not looked really closely I never would have noticed. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/82gst">http://tinyurl.com/82gst</A></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>This is a close up of the center of the front panel. The flowers are engraved into the wood. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/b99ac">http://tinyurl.com/b99ac</A></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>The fallboard had two medallions on either side of a nameplate casting. Here is the left medallion.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/dxvgn">http://tinyurl.com/dxvgn</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>Here is the nameplate casting.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/8rbra">http://tinyurl.com/8rbra</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>And here is the right medallion, showing the date of 1900.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/ccou5">http://tinyurl.com/ccou5</A></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is a straight on view of the action. The brass is shiny. The damper wires shine. The screws, strings and pins are undamaged and show no signs of rust. The wood is so clean that I find it hard to believe that it is original, and the felt is like new. Even the bridle straps are in good condition.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/7k7sl">http://tinyurl.com/7k7sl</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>This is the bass bridge. Obviously new. Not a scratch or crack anywhere.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/8nnfe">http://tinyurl.com/8nnfe</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>This is the treble bridge. Again, obviously new. Not a scratch or crack anywhere. I'm surprised, though, at the older look of the pins.</SPAN></DIV></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/8xmmv">http://tinyurl.com/8xmmv</A></SPAN></DIV></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>This is the plate and pinblock and all that stuff. Look how clean everything is.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/dr5jj">http://tinyurl.com/dr5jj</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006>And finally, the soundboard. Is this new, or has just been expertly restored?</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><A href="http://tinyurl.com/djssr">http://tinyurl.com/djssr</A></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm looking forward to your comments and suggestions.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>-- Geoff Sykes</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006><FONT face=Arial size=2>-- Assoc. Los Angeles</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN><SPAN class=562033900-08012006></SPAN> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>