[CAUT] Storytone piano update

Joe And Penny Goss imatunr@srvinet.com
Fri, 6 May 2005 08:26:12 -0600


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Hi Chris,
The case sounds like the only thing left of value except if it is =
intended for exact hysterical preservation.
Ever consider an organ ( keyboard ) transplant?
Joe Goss RPT
Mother Goose Tools
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Christopher Purdy=20
  To: College and University Technicians=20
  Sent: Friday, May 06, 2005 7:32 AM
  Subject: [CAUT] Storytone piano update


  Thanks to everyone that responded to my post. I'm sorry for the delay =
in getting back but the University's server was down all day yesterday. =
I had not realized how much I had come to depend on email until then.

  By the posts I've read and what I found on the web, it seems there =
were some very different incarnations of this piano. I was able to see =
the piano the other night and I though some of you might enjoy hearing =
about it.

  The serial numbers line up with Story and Clark for 1939. We were told =
that this piano was exhibited at the 39 world fair in Chicago so that =
part of the story lines up. It has a BEAUTIFUL art deco case that I =
can't begin to describe. I have never seen anything like it. I really =
wonder if it or a limited number of them were commissioned for the fair =
and designed by some wacky designer. Some veneer is loose but there are =
no bad scratches or dents. With a good cleaning/rub down and veneer =
repair this case would be absolutely stunning.

  It has a standard plate, 88 notes, and the usual one, two, and three =
string unisons. There is no sound board but individual pick ups for each =
string. If there was ever amplifiers or a turn table it's gone. (the =
bench is not there, some of that equipment is rumored to have lived =
there)

  The keys are a mess. At some point somebody replaced several missing =
ivories with plastic. Then at some other point some dork painted the key =
tops white.

  There are no organ parts as some have seen in other Storytones. =
Picture a spinet piano. Now take out the sound board, put pick ups =
behind the strings, and speakers behind the plate. At best this dude =
sounded like an amplified spinet (it sounds stupid without =
amplification, like playing an electric guitar without an amp) but the =
case is just a knock out. I am dying to take it apart and check it all =
out.

  If my friend buys this I will post some pictures of it. As cool as =
this thing is, it would need re-stringing. Since there is no board, it =
is useless as an acoustic piano. I wonder if the pick ups could still =
work. Do they deteriorate? Someone would have to fix them or replace =
them, replace the speakers, and then design a simple amp. It has me =
thinking crazy thoughts...

  Chris
  --=20
  Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.
  School of Music, Ohio University
  Rm. 311, Robt. Glidden Hall
  Athens, OH 45701
  Office (740) 593-1656
  Cell (740) 590-3842
  fax (740) 593-1429
  http://www.ohiou.edu/music
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