Piano picture of the day

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-Zorba
"The Veiled Male"
http://www.doubleveil.net
1918 Hobart M. Cable
"No-one would knowingly provide Franz Liszt with a mediocre piano." -E. M. Good

05 September 2006, 06:00 PM

ChickGrand

quote:
Originally posted by OperaTenor:
...Are those soundboard cracks I see? There are so many all of the ribs must be loose....

Possibly. But not necessarily. Only a close inspection would answer that. I've seen many old soundboards where the butt-joints in the soundboard where the individual boards composing the panel meet are discolored with age and yet there is no separation. (Effect of aging glue on the wood?) Also, they might be yet nothing more than compression ridges. But even in worst case, they *could* be cracks. And still not yet affect the performance of the board, if the boards are still adhering to the ribs and there is crown and downbearing. Can't make such judgments from such a picture. Worst case scenario, shimming a board is not that big a deal, nor is replacement of a soundboard with new. The unusual style of the dampers in this one might make it an interesting candidate for preservation. We need to know more before we make an organ donor out of it.

05 September 2006, 06:35 PM

OperaTenor

The more I look at the photo, the more I'm beginning to wonder if the dampers are actually missing. That looks like it may only be the pivot rail for the dampers. I asked the prospective owner about it over at PW.

.....and toned down my pessimism in the process...

06 September 2006, 10:17 AM

rontuner

Another Steinway... this one's straight-strung.

07 September 2006, 01:00 PM

rontuner

And even earlier, a fortepiano:

07 September 2006, 01:02 PM

rontuner

"I think I found the problem...."

07 September 2006, 01:20 PM

pianojuggler

Pssst... ron... the real problem is that that's a harpsichord.

That is actually a common tool for tuning a harpsichord. It's called a calico mute and can both mute off an octave or two at a time AND pluck up to four strings at a time with the plectra built into the end of each appendage.

They are also very helpful, as you can see in the lower left picture, the calico mute has been enlisted in the search for the obviously missing keys.

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

08 September 2006, 03:16 AM

ChickGrand

quote:
Originally posted by Zorba:
...Isn't THAT cute! Very 30's art-deco looking.

Looks like an old 30s/40s console radio. Probably would sound better if it were one.

08 September 2006, 05:33 PM

OperaTenor

That one has those left and right-facing music desks, doesn't it?

I always thought those were a novel idea. I wonder why they're not done anymore?

11 September 2006, 10:08 AM

rontuner

from a Clementi piano

11 September 2006, 10:55 PM

fortepiano guy

Hi pianojuggler - I like the pictures, reminds me of my cat when she was a kitten. Also reminds me of my fortepiano - that's a Walter reproduction isn't it?? Who built it though?
It's range goes to g''' ...... right? Has a moderator. Yours? How long have you had it, and how do you like it?

Ours are matching Steins.
Ciao
Ron

13 September 2006, 08:58 AM

rontuner

This Erard (1877)has a couple of extra keys!

14 September 2006, 10:19 AM

rontuner

Unsigned Piano, c. 1795, in South German/Viennese style. Typical of its time and place; state-of-the-art at the end of Mozart's lifetime. Case, with all-over geometric marquetry, evidently re-used from a mid-18th century harpsichord. Reverse-color keyboard. Knee levers control dampers, mute stop.

14 September 2006, 11:05 AM

piqué

beautiful pianoforte, ron! i want one just like that to play mozart on.

some day soon, when i'm done with my deadline, i'm going to post the pianos i met at the deutsche museum in munich, one of them a mozart era piano similar to this one. it will just take a while to find them and get them up on photobucket.