Steinway C (Was Re: ..while on vacation.)

[Bdshull@AOL.COM]

Phil,

<< I was able to lift enough of the cover to take a look at the front part of
 > the plate..I didn't notice the word 'Hamburg' anywhere on the plate.. >>

The Hamburgs I have serviced (including a 30's C) have rounded arms and fall 
board lip, and the half-circle "Steinway and Sons" behind the high-treble 
hitch pin area is alone, without the usual stuff inside.  There was a thread 
on this some time back;   don't remember if others mentioned anything else.

What does it take to get a piano technician into a piano on vacation?  About 
any "C" would get me to look, too, I suppose.   I agree with Gina, including 
the part about wishing NY made them still.  I liked the NY C's I have seen 
very much.  

Bill Shull

<<Phil,

If the date is correct that C may have been either NY or Hamburg. Usually,
Hamburg is identified on the plate. Introduced originally in 1861 as a 7'1",
the size increased to a 7" 5" in 1885 but I don't think it's grown since.

The C, imho, is one of the nicest instruments Steinway makes. Hamburg still
produces them but NY discontinued production around 1913 although they
occasionally manufactured some into the 1930s.

Sure wish NY still made them. Fabulous sound!

Gina>>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Bondi" <tito@PhilBondi.com>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 7:05 AM
Subject: ..while on vacation..


> I got to see part of a Hamburg Steinway 'C' ..they claim circa 1897.
>
> The piano was in its own separate room off of the stage of this town hall
> activities center.
>
> The person at the desk was kind enough to let me take a look at it..when I
> got there, there was, of course, a cover on it, a lock on the fallboard(my
> fallboard lock key wouldn't fit the MasterLock), and it was buried in the
> back of this room. I had very little room to work with, so I didn't 'abuse
> the privlidge' by trying to access it too much.
>
> It appeared to be a 7'er .. am I close?
>
> According to the news article that originally caught my interest in this,
> the piano was once owned by a Frank Hanson, former technician for
> Tanglewood. The name didn't ring any bells for me.
>
> I was able to lift enough of the cover to take a look at the front part of
> the plate..I didn't notice the word 'Hamburg' anywhere on the plate..
>
> I wish I could have played it..it looked like it was re-whatevered from
top
> to bottom.
>
> oh well..back to work,
> roo(k)
>