Cracked plate

[Farrell]

It is a model A1 and is about 180 cm. Does that help? Thanks.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Delacour" <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: Cracked plate


> At 7:32 AM -0500 12/14/01, Farrell wrote:
> >"the crack-prone Bechstein plates of some decades back"
> >
> >Hi Del. Was there a range of years where this was a problem? Or are 
> >most all old Bechstein's subject to this weakness. (My specific 
> >concern is my own personal 1900 Bechstein grand that I will be 
> >rebuilding in the next year or so.) Thanks.
> 
> What model is it?  Has it a B or an A cast into the front web or has 
> it a V at the toe corner of the plate or has it nothing?  Around 
> those years the models were changing.  There are at least 3 different 
> models in the 200 cm bracket and some of these are prone to cracking 
> badly and almost all of them were installed green.
> 
> I once had a B (which ought to have been all right) and which had no 
> cracks.  When I unscrewed the rim screws, that plate lifted off the 
> seating at the toe a full three inches if not more (it's an 
> experience I try to forget!).  When we refitted the plate, we had to 
> modify the seating in order to get it to lie flat.  This was not 
> quite as bad as I'd anticipated, but it was impossible to get the 
> bearing quite right at the break and you can hear it, though most 
> people don't notice.  The piano has done daily service in a school 
> for over 17 years and is treasured by them and very well looked 
> after, but if they'd seen it when I first got it, they wouldn't have 
> touched it.  Unless you know your Bechstein grands, its best to steer 
> clear of them.
> 
> JD
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