Mirror Pianos

[Stephen F Schell]

Dear List,



      There are lots of restyled uprights in southern California. Large churches are often burdened with several. Usually the piano is some worn out old dud anyway, but it hurts when you find a really fine high grade
upright which has suffered this indignity.

                                                     The worst case which
comes to mind (pun intended) is an 1871 Steinway which had been offered
for sale in a local paper. I went out to look at it, and found it to be a terrible looking restyle, mirror and all. Even so, I purchased it because this instrument is one of the the few remaining examples of William
Steinway's patent of February 5, 1866, Double Iron Frame Upright.



                   In this design, the plate and back structure are accomplished in an ambitious one piece casting, and the soundboard is surrounded by it front and back and on three of it's edges. The soundboard has a sort of box frame around it's perime
ter, and tension is applied to it on
two sides via numerous adjustable screws which thread through the iron
frame.


                                                           Does this piano sound like a good candidate for restyling? Somebody once thought so, and carved it up. Sheesh!


                                                          Steve Schell

                                                      stfrsc@juno.com