Question for the Historians I'm finishing up an 8' 4" Chickering Concert Grand this week. The serial number indicates it was made in 1872, yet, it is straight strung. I thought Chickering was overstringing long before the 1870's. Can anyone enlighten me? The frame is cast iron, one piece, the pinblock exposed, at a slight angle, and all strings run through agraffs, the highest treble agraffs actually filed back. The action is unique to me, I don't know what it is called. The hammers don't have knuckles, they have flat wood plates where knuckles might be, and are pushed by a felt covered kindof double jack arrangement whose springs must be quite strong to function at all. Dampers flanges were all glued in place, not screwed, and half of the dampers have extra springs at their levers. I have a client with similar Chickering in storage nearby, also straight strung, but that one is dated in the 1840's. Can this really be an 1872? Or may it be older?? Roger C. Hayden, RPT Clarks Summit, PA
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