If it is checking it has a shellac finish on it. If you carefully strip it with a rag saturated in alcohol, you can preserve the old stain and patina. I would then give it a coat of brushed satin varnish. I guarantee it will look like a museum piece. Bill Peterson ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert Goodale <rrg@unlv.edu> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 8:25 PM Subject: Re: Chickering Quarter Grand Quality > Interesting enough I just bought a Chickering Quarter Grand from a > client yesterday. It is actually in pretty decent shape and was > restrung about six years ago. Whoever did it seems to have done a decent > job of it. It formally had an Ampico player in it, (too bad some ding > bat removed it), so it has big double legs which have some fancy > turning. The case is really nice with two-tone veneer pieces and a > scrolled desk. It could use a good refinishing although it does not > look dark at all, only checked. It is the Centennial special edition > with a little brass plaque screwed to the plate. I think it would look > classy all buffed up and shined. I only paid $1,800 for it. > > Alan Meyer and I are going to make it a joint project. We aren't going > to do a full rebuild for lack of time and current space. We are just > going to fix it up nice and then resell it quick for money toward our > shop. I figure new hammers/shanks, dampers and front key bushings. > Six chipped ivory tops need to be replaced. I'm going to sand it down > and fill the checking with sealer and then shoot it with a coat of > lacquer. After a good rub down it should look half way decent. I'm > sure we could unload it fast for about $5,000.00, (does anyone have an > opinion on this?) Sometime I would like to do a complete restoration on > one of these, I think there is a lot of potential there. > > Rob Goodale, RPT > Las Vegas, NV > > > > Farrell wrote: > > >I service a 5' 7" 1907 Chickering Quarter Grand, scale 121. Just tuned it today. Just curious if anyone has rebuilt one of these - what kind of results has anyone had. It appears to be a massively built piano. Very heavy sawn inner rim laminated outer rim. Heavy bracing underneath, all arranged in a rather splendid manner. Back scale on both the long bridge and bass bridge a "country mile" long - I know Del would like that. 52 mm C88 speaking length. It only has five ribs on the whole soundboard! > > > >Looks to me like a piano that would respond very well to an efficient soundboard, maybe a separate low tenor bridge, etc., etc.,. The width of this piano is only about two inches wider than the 88-note keyboard. > > > >When did Aeolian turn the Chickerings into....well,.... let's just say - not what they once were? > > > >Terry Farrell > > > > > > >
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