[pianotech] Re: Hygrometer

[Robin Hufford]

Ron,
     For example, the roundtail 88 note Steinway A's with the three
bridges frequently have a characteristic crack field to the left of the
long bridge.  As Dale says there is usually a preeminent crack in front
of the long bridge but with this piano there are usually several long
but lesser cracks and partial cracks nearby.   The second, squaretail A,
without the tenor bridge, although frequently having a typical long
crack in front of the bridge, does not have the badly broken area
typical of the roundtails, both 85 and 88 note.  Similarly, the A3
frequently as a long crack in front of the bridge.  Most of the
knock-offs of this piano, for example, the AB Chase with the tenor
bridge also have a roughly similar pattern of cracking.
     Of course, a dramatic example of predicatability  can be found in
most Sohmers with the agraffed bridge.  These, as has been mentioned
before have a very dramatic long crack in front of the bridge with a
very substantial offset from one side of the crack to the other.
     In my opinion M's, and O's don't crack as badly as the A's, as I
have never seen the kind of crack field on these which is very
frequently encountered on the A's with tenor bridge.   They,  of course,
typically, may not be as old, as the first two versions of the A.    In
fact, I would say neither does the B crack as much, although more so
than the M and O's.  L's, in my experience, a more prone to cracking
than these others, as is the concert grand.  I see so few C's that I
don't about them.
     The Chickering 121 frequently has a small crack 8 or 10 inches on
the left and right side of the board in the vicinity of the belly rail
and another, isolated crack more toward the middle of the board but
still in front of the long bridge.  .  The late model 123's seldom have
much in the way of cracks at all.  The same can be said of the 135's.
In fact, I would hazard a guess that the Chickering pianos are far less
prone to extensive cracking than the pianos of many other manufacturers
which are Steinway style pianos and the same can be said of the Knabes
and other stencil brands, that have used,  after the move by Chickering
to Rochester, very similar ribbing and bridge arrangements to those
typical of Chickering for at least eighty or ninety years prior to the
move to Rochester.
Regards, Robin Hufford


Erwinspiano@AOL.COM wrote:

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