Coffin Piano

[Billbrpt]

In a message dated 5/13/98 7:23:48 AM Central Daylight Time,
dbpowell1@juno.com writes:

<< Also when tthe piano is closed up it looks kind of like a dining table, one
guy said they were called coffin pianos.>>

The refinishers I used to work with when I was rebuilding used to call square
grands, "Casket Grands" (one possibly good use for them?).
 
(Snip)

<< If anyone out there knows any thing about or has seen one of these pianos
 please let me know. Is it a rare & valuable old piano , or just an old
 weird piano? >>

The latter is my estimation but also just my opinion.  If you need to get it
working the best you can, get it clean and use lots of Protek lube.

Jack Wyatt RPT (not a subscriber to the List) who is the PTG South Central
Regional Vice President, knows about all of these unusual spinet designs.  He
would be glad to tell you what he knows, what it might be worth (probably not
as much as it would cost to move it) and how to service it best.  He can be
reached at 972-278-9312 or by E-mail at  jwyatt1492@Aol.com.

The main reasons for its low value are that in spite of an unusual and rare
design (which make some older things more valuable as collctibles), as a
piano, it is difficult to service in the extreme and as a musical instrument,
it will be barely functional at best.  However, if you are able to get it into
reasonable working order, it may be of interest to someone who has a large
home with unusual furnishings that wants it more as an accent piece than a
piano that really plays well.  If you want to get good tuning stability out of
it, you can sell the customer on putting one of the newer backside Dampp-
Chaser systems on it (the regular one won't fit inside).

This is an example of what I have talked about on several occasions.  I don't
like to see people denegrating the common pianos which really were fairly well
built:  the Kimballs, the Acrosonics, the Wurlitzers, etc.  These pianos are
serviceable.  The fact that they are still around and that you can take them
apart, tighten them up, regulate and voice them and have an instrument that
people can actually use in their homes, that their children can learn on,
makes them have a certain value and also provide us, the technicians with a
steady source of work and income.  The one mentioned here is truly an example
of a piano which is more trouble than its worth, in my opinion.

I do wish you luck in getting the best and some income out of it, however.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin