oddities puzzler

[Susan Kline]

Hi, Terry.

1920, built to the nth degree ... have at it! With good work, it should
sound great! My 1906 was too early for that fabulous tone, though it has
a very long bass bridge which gives a real glow to the sound. The
treble is more nondescript. It's BUILT, though! Big back posts, veneered
on three sides in birdseye maple; the fourth, toward the soundboard,
showed clear single pieces of hard maple. The music desk assembly weighs
37 pounds.

Susan

At 09:16 PM 11/17/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello Susan Kline. The Bush & Lane Upright Grand I service (only been there
>twice) is serial #57289, and manufactured in 1920. It is 50 inches tall. The
>tone.....well.....depressing some keys make a sound reminiscent of a piano
>(piano-like sound perhaps). Other keys make a variety of noises. It sounds
>like your typical well worn 80 year old upright. Hard to tell what it COULD
>sound like. Built like a major-league truck though.
>
>Terry Farrell
>Piano Tuning & Service
>Tampa, Florida
>mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Susan Kline" <sckline@home.com>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 10:34 AM
>Subject: Re: oddities puzzler
>
>
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > >I service a Bush & Lane "Upright Grand". Yea, sure, I thought the first
>time
> > > >I saw it. But the plate is four sectioned, with the top two having real
>capo
> > > >bars, and the other two having agraffes. And upon looking at the back,
>low
> > > >and behold, was a full laminated bent rim on the two sides and bottom
>within
> > > >the square outer case. Truly was a grand that was upright - but, of
>course,
> > > >the beast did have a seemingly standard upright action. A real pain
>getting
> > > >mutes in around the capo bars also - the hammer go right up to them!
> > > >
> > > >Terry Farrell
> >
> > This is interesting, because I like Bush & Lane, and own a 1906 upright.
> > Could you tell me the age or serial number of this overachieving upright?
> > I have a soft spot for overbuilt pianos. How is the tone?
> >
> >
> > >This grand seemed to me like it was a pretty nice instrument at one time,
> > >and could be again if it wasn't trapped forevermore in church donation
> > >purgatory, where all hope is abandoned upon entry. Too bad, I'd love to
> > >take a whack at it.
> > >
> > >Ron N
> >
> > Hi, Ron. Why don't you try crossing the church's palm with silver?
> > Since churches are chronically short of money (which is why one can
> > only pray for their pianos) they might respond to being offered some.
> > Some churches already feel that they own too many pianos. So long as
> > there isn't an encumbrance on it from a will, you might have a shot
> > at it. Or offer a barter to get their other pianos tuned/fixed?
> >
> > Oh, by the way, maybe the counterbearing bar slipped forward when
> > someone wanted to twist the bass strings and tried to do them
> > all at once instead of a few at a time. Or maybe a kid had some
> > fun. Any marks on the tuning pins?
> >
> > Susan
> >