quote:

Originally posted by Beacon Chris:

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:
2010 is heading out the the door but: The Pianos are Multiplying (from another 'Opera Tenor' google search)

"There on the promenade was a massive collection of pianos that seemed to keep growing as we watched."

http://blog.nycopera.com/pr/ny...og-post.aspx?id=2131

Those are MINE!!!!!

I thought I recognized those photos.

quote:

Originally posted by lilylady:
titled "a diamond in the rough? ???

from PW

I would have to title it, "I'm gonna cry."

No rescue from the landfill for this one.

Pipe Piano Fireworks

Fireworks for Piano lovers... and a few of those let off for the new year:-)

Wicked cold here today.... Thought a little desert piano playing might warm me up!

quote:

Originally posted by lilylady:
titled "a diamond in the rough? ???

from PW


No rescue from the landfill for this one.

I'd love to get my hands on those front legs before it hits the landfill...

Ahhhh...

It is NOT going to hit the landfill. The owner is going to restore it. His present redo just entered his home and this is his next project.
(see PW)

I too look at these old pianos for their 'parts'. I want to recycle them as part of a house redo! Can't seem to find any without needing to cart the whole shabang out of someone's basement or 4th floor appt though!

A Diamond in the Rough

Melville Clark Apollo Player Piano

"I know very little about this piano at this time, but if my other piano is a piece of junk then this one should be kindling. I acquired this piano in November 2009 from the barn where my wife boards her horses it has been in the hay loft for 20 years, "

Indeed Lilylady, this is the site where I found the photo.
Interesting series of photos here:
http://www.thewaitegroup.com/piano/diamond.html

More of the player mechanism exposed


While you are about it, check out the 1909 Otto Grau Piano and restoration pics:
http://www.thewaitegroup.com/piano/otto-grau.html

quote:

Originally posted by rontuner:
Wicked cold here today.... Thought a little desert piano playing might warm me up!

Down here it is Summertime, hopefully this warms you up some... Timothy Martin hand painted Steinway:

RE: Summertime piano...

While I am into flowers, and paintings of flowers AND some of the painting on this piano is funky fun...

THAT IS ONE HIDEOUS PIANO!

The player piano guy has a couple of more challenges with the Apollo than he has/had with the Grau. First, and fundamentally, the Apollo is a 3/4 plate instead of a full plate, and is probably less stable to begin with. It looks to me like he didn't restring the Grau; he will absolutely have to with the Apollo - there are too many broken strings, and they're all extremely rusty. Besides, I can't imagine there is any tightness left in the pins.

Aside for that, the piano is incomplete. It looks like parts of the upper action stack are missing, and it's enough of an oddball that probably isn't a manual extant to fix it.

Just sayin'...

I have been told that if I were to ask a Connecticut Yankee for directions to a place difficult to reach, he would tell me that he probably wouldn't start from wherever we are.

That said, I wouldn't pick that Melville Clark player for a project piano. Too much carp to ever be a decent piano. Too much missing to ever be a decent player.

And weird.

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
it's enough of an oddball that probably isn't a manual extant to fix it.

Who needs a manual when you have advertising?

Well he did say...

quote:

but if my other piano is a piece of junk then this one should be kindling.

So I guess he is being realistic about the whole affair:-)

Baby, it's cold outside...

quote:

Originally posted by rontuner:
Baby, it's cold outside...

You may well be warm compared to the blokes in that photo!!! - my interest being piqued by the reference to New Zealand in the address line - Whoa! - we are talking Antarctica here!

Photo quote:
Ice Piano: Alun Breese (orange goggles) enjoys a surreal tune from the piano ‘acquired’ from the Americans by the New Zealanders at Scott Base. Photo courtesy of Alun Breese.

Backstory: http://www.airforce.mil.nz/ope...-from-antarctica.htm
"Among the slides are some of a piano in the snow at Scott Base that was mysteriously ‘acquired’ from the Americans at McMurdo on Christmas Day, and which was used to good effect in the Base’s social calendar."