Justin Browne piano

[Barrie Heaton]

In article <000301be83a4$d4834340$e7aa88d1@JohnM.Formsma>, John M.
Formsma <jformsma@dixie-net.com> writes
>     
>    Today I had someone drive to my house from about 50 miles away to 
>    see if I would work on a piano they have. They don't have a phone.  
>    ???
>     
>    Anyway, the piano is a Justin Browne, made in London according to 
>    the label. The Pierce Piano Atlas has but one listing--->1870-1910. 

Hi John,

Well at lest they did not have the piano on the roof rack like some one
who turned up at my house once.

At worst it is a pin bridge with a spring and loop action. Made for the
masses more attention was spent on the case than the inside of the
piano.

The Action is the problem, it has a Costa spring on the bottom section
and a loop on the Butt no bridal tapes. (Bit like the Bechstein  model 8
upright action Costa Spring) The loop tends to brake doing them back up
is awkward at best. You will need to drill out the old cork that holds
the loop in place, push in some new cord, use a cocktail stick to hold
the new loop in place. 

The flange screws down on too the action rail. I hook up the loop first
then screw the flange in place take the damper stack off two screws.
Lift the stack off when the action is still in the piano take note of
the damper lift pads some times they are loos and drop off these are
little felt pads the size of let off pads on the bottom of the damper
lift wire. 


At best: it is a standard Herrburger Brooks over damper action.  Modern
whippen flanges will fit the hammers, the whippen and damper sections.
Modern Butts can be used you may have to shorten the balance hammer
shank (catcher to you) and has normal bridal tapes the damper stack
comes off the same as above. Modern Jacks can be used with a bit of
modification. The whippens are a deferent matter as are the dampers.

If there is a lot of damper leakage and there is no bracket in the
middle you can fit one, or plug the damper screw holes and move the
stack forward 1-2 mm you can get away with in on an overdamper.  


To tune:

Tuning pins tend to be on the small size. 

A Paps wedge is needed for less aggravation, but if you use muting
strips. 

This was given by Gerry on  rec.music.makers.piano with his blessing to
re-post, it is the best way I have seen so far, besides using a Paps
wedge or stick mute.

1. Remove the action (You may just be able to tilt it toward you)

2. Mute every other gap.  This leaves two strings free in each tri
chord.  You must adjust for the singles and bi chords.

3. With another felt strip, mute the other groups.  This leaves the
centre string in each tri chord as the only open string.

4. Replace the action and tune in the normal manner.

5. To adjust the unisons, remove one felt strip.  This allows you to
tune alternating left or right strings in the tri chords.  You may or
may not have to tilt back the action to remove the strip.

6. Remove the other strip and tune the other unison string,  it is all
done.
            
Some of these old piano were scaled very nicely and tune up OK However,
some where done on the back of a cigarette packet down the pub. 

Hope this is of some help 

50 miles is a long way to go back to fix a loop the next week after you
have been :-)

Take care

Barrie




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Barrie Heaton                                  |  Be Environmentally Friendly
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