Old Chickering Concert Grand

[Clark]

Hi Roger,

This sounds like a nice piano. We rebuilt a 33B of about the same size and
age, straight strung amd with about the same action. The action is probably
an Edwin Brown action, Conrad Hoffsommer estimates its use from 1843 to ca.
1890, as an option in the later years - but I'm not familiar with any grands
with the flat wood plates you mentioned. Normally there is a kind of
oversized, flat drop screw to adjust the hammer line, but older squares have
plates.

Did you replace the hammers or strings? The action won't work with heavy
hammers, and the bass strings rarely corrode

Chickering retained agraffes in various guises for some time; often treble
hammers have nearly all of their felt removed from the bottom sides for
clearance. Likewise, I think Chickering retained straight stringing as an
option in grands for some time, though they introduced overstringing in
squares fairly early on.

Straight strung Chickerings with Brown actions are my favorites.

Clark