Hi Tom, Sounds like an English Bird cage from your sparse description. Is it straight strung? And are the dampers above the hammer line? At 06:37 PM 22/06/99 -0700, you wrote: >Greetings, List, > I went to look at a "piano" ( some of you will call it a PSO ), today. >The owners are wondering about its origins. Perhaps someone out there can >help. Here's a description: > > - The case is fairly ornate, with a carved latice work on the front board >and this is backed with cloth. The overall dimensions are a 47 3/4 inch >length and height. The keyboard contains 64 keys, and the key buttons are >curved pieces glued on; the keys look carved to some extent. The "capstan" >device is a screw, with a flap of felt over top. > > - The back is rather strange, as no back posts are visible. There appears >to be a wooden frame with a cross member running horizontally at the >midpoint; again, there is cloth inside this frame. > > - There is a soundboard, however, it too is in a frame the edges of which >are about 5 inches inside the edge of the sides of the case. > > - The plate is a 3/4 type with the tuning pins in a wooden panel. There >are struts between D30/D#31,E44/F45, F#58/G59,with wound bass starting at >D30. > > - All the tenor and treble notes are formed by 2-string unisons. > > - There is only one pedal, and it is for sustain. The action frame is all >wood, and is held in place with small wooden pieces which turn and tighten >in a wooden slot - much like the way some front boards of old uprights are >held in place. A double flange is used in the action, with the hammer on >one side, and the damper lever held on the other pin by a brass plate and >screw. > > - There is no exterior decal (although the piano appears to have been >refinished), and an inspection showed no manufacturer markings anywhere. >There is a production number (17171) stenciled on the plate. > > All in all, a rather strange piece of machinery ( in my experience ). >Two other items: the piano was owned by this family's parents in Colorado, >and there is a tuner signature inside the piano that appears to be S.G. >Suisa, dated May 7/14. > > It's one of those "family curiosity" situations, so anyone who has any >thoughts on the piano's origin is encouraged to respond. > > Sincerely, > Tom Dickson > > > > > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > Roger Jolly Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre Saskatoon and Regina Saskatchewan, Canada. 306-665-0213 Fax 652-0505
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