For me the Ultimate piano - without pianist, NOT an option, it is a Graf fortepiano. That's it for now, bye

WoW Brian, you have hit the jackpot! Love all the pics!

(I think that is Frycek isn't it?)

lilylady, that painting, that is a real stunner, just imagine the reality of it - it used to happen - Liszt and friends, including Paganini! What was it about those times that inspired that music? Rather than be the back of a 3000 seater hall one can be swooned by this kind of concert. Pity there are not more just like this:-) I wish the ethos of our times was so different....

Actually I just found this site that describes the detail:
http://www.mozartpiano.com/articles/liszt.php

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:

The caption says "A grand piano sound board outside the Steinway Haus in Berlin." But that looks like a frame - no?

The plate, actually, if you want to get technical. Perhaps a mistranslation in the caption?

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:

Looks like a piano, but... I've often thought I'd love to have an ordinary piano but inside the strings are replaced with tuning forks, I suspect this is a version of that.

I think this is the innards of an electric or electronic piano.

Better View of the 5.7m Adrian Mann piano in New Zealand. Called the Alexander piano it weighs about 1.2 tons. Page here www.youtube.com/thealexanderpiano

quote:

Originally posted by OperaTenor:

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:

Looks like a piano, but... I've often thought I'd love to have an ordinary piano but inside the strings are replaced with tuning forks, I suspect this is a version of that.

I think this is the innards of an electric or electronic piano.

It's a Rhodes electric piano, or at least, part of one. Looks like some's been playing with the weight of the action - note the grey thingys just inside the pivot point on the keys. That's definately not a stock item.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:

I guess if you were tuning this instrument, it would be safe to say it's definately not flat!

It is a Rhodes Piano, it is essientially a tuning fork piano, indeed the sound is similar to a tuninging fork, the metal bars vibrate and are electrically amplified, I am just imagining lifting the lid of an acoustic piano and seeing no strings but instead a long row of tuning forks instead. I'd like that. I wonder if any one has a picture to post of a piano like this... Also since this interests me does anyone have pictures to post of acoustic pianos that have non-string innovations? I read that one experiment was a piano with no strings but a system of springs instead. Many Thanks for any posts

Does anyone have pictures to post of pianos on ships, especially the older special design pianos and also anyone with pics of the pianos in the Zepplin airships?

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Becroft:
Does anyone have pictures to post of pianos on ships, especially the older special design pianos and also anyone with pics of the pianos in the Zepplin airships?

Oooh, there are some posted back in the annals of this thread, but it's probably easier to repost them than to find them.

Steingraeber-Phoenix
IMO the most amazing piano in the world due to technical innovations: carbon fibre soundboard, zero down-bearing and bridge agraffes. No bridge pins, huge down-bearing causing soundboard crown loss, eventual ruination of the piano sound completely gone, not to mention double-blow-in-one soft pedal for reliably playing the piano to pppp but power to rival any currently available instrument by a country mile. This is the future...

This photo of Phoenix showing bridge agraffes and also the adjustable hitch-pins

Steingraeber A-170 Piano showing the new Carbon Fibre Soundboard and adjustable hitchpins.

Piano with no Soundboard - the Neo Bechstein electric Grand Piano from the 1930 era - notice how the strings are bunched together for the pickups. It features 18 humbucker pickups, each covering 5 strings. Much like an electric guitar its acoustic sound is very soft due to the missing resonance board.