Secretary Desk Piano

[Les Smith]

On Sat, 22 Mar 1997 SGrossner@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 97-03-22 14:46:49 EST, you write:
>
> << This doesn't answer your question, but I've also seen a Story & Clark
>  disguised as a desk, or chest of drawers. I think it was made in the '40's.
>  The keybed folded up, and you couldn't tell it was a piano. I''m really
> sorry
>  I've lost track of it.
>
>  Bob Davis
>
>   >>
> Bob: I don't if it is the same model, but I have one. A Story and Clark where
> the lid folds over the top to resemble a buffet table. Different one,
> probably.  The keybed does not move on this one, just the lid folds over
> everything. You could set a buffet table on it. And i probably will when I
> have a party. Regards, Sam Grossner Chicago.
>
Hi, Sam.

Just for fun, you might want to take a look at your piano's bass bridge.
Of the two "buffet table" S&C's I've seen, both had bass bridge problems
that were so bad, they couldn't be repaired, they had to be replaced. The
last one I saw, about ten years ago ,really sticks in my mind, because the
buyer had asked his children's piano techer to check it out for him, be-
cause the bass notes, even to his none-player's ear, "sounded funny".
She assured him, after playing it, that it only needed a "good tuning".
so, on her say-so, he bought it, paying about twice what it would have
been worth had the bass bridge not been bad. When he called me to come
out and tune it, he prepared me by assuring me, over the phone, that it
was in "Great Shape". The case was beautiful and quite unique, but I knew
the moment I played a couple of the bass notes, what the problem was.
When I opened up the bottom panel and showed him the bass bridge, which,
literally was in pieces, I thought he was going to have a heart attack.
After giving him an estimate for the repair and making arrangements to
pick up the piano the next day, I left. As I did so, he was picking up
the phone to call his children's piano teacher. He didn't look happy!
The upshot was that $500 later we were finally able to tune the piano.
Being as kind as I can, it looked better than it played or sounded.
It never happened, but I always thought that someday I'd see Stan and
that piano teacher on "The People's Court". :)

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net

PS In a totally useless bit of information, the "Clark" in Story and
Clark, refers to Melville Clark, famous for his innovations and con-
tributionns to the development of the player piano. Among other things
he invented a "roll-motor" that worked on a spring-wound clock-work
mechanism , rather than pneumatic power. It was a sensation in it's
day, which, unfortunately, didn't last very long!

ls