Amazing Steinway

[A440A@aol.com]

Greetings, 
    Well, I just looked at a piano for sale and it is beyond me to purchase 
for myself.  It is a Steinway L built in a custom case, probably back in the 
40's, but I don't know yet.  The serial number is K 1254.  Yes, I know, a six 
digit number is expected, but I couldn't find one anywhere.  (I do know most of 
the places to look).  I will ask the factory to give me the pertinent data on 
Monday.  
    The piano appears to be a jointed rim, but it is actually a continuous 
rim with built-out corners.  It has six legs with a connecting piece between 
them, and resembles a Cristofori style.  It is finished in French walnut with 
inlaid herringbone pieces describing "panel" shapes on the sides.  It has no 
fallboard, but rather a flat attached to the front lid that covers the keys when 
the lid is totally down.  Instead of a visible front stretcher, it has a 
slide-down panel that drops onto rails running vertically above the cheek blocks.   
   It has a good sound, the board still exhibits crown with no discernable 
cracks in board or bridge.  Pinblock is tight as far as I tested, though there 
was one pin near the bottom of the bass that felt like it has been doped.  It 
could use new strings, but what is on there sounds good, looks old......
   Action is verdigris city, so any restoration should consider a complete 
action replacement.  Except for one small chip on C88, the ivory is in perfect 
shape.  All in all, a set of whippens, shanks, hammers and refelting would have 
the motor running at performance levels. 
   The finish is in beautiful shape, very little color change between the 
area under the opened front lid and the rest of the top.  
   The owner wants to sell, so if anyone has a client that they think might 
be interested, please contact me.  I am being commissioned to sell this, so 
arrangements on the other side should be made between the buyer and yourself.  
This keeps things simple, ie, no finder's fee from you to me and no seller's 
commission to you.  Get your buyer to pay you for your brokerage time.  
    My initial suggestion for the seller was to consider E-bay with a $30,000 
minimum bid.  I think for the right buyer, that purchase price, plus perhaps 
$12,000 for new action, stringing, and all assorted work needed, (I'm thinking 
of total felt replacement throughout, perhaps a new block if this one is 
found to need it,etc. ) would put a new piano to shame.  I hate to think what a 
commisioned custome L like this would cost , new.  
   Anybody got a customer looking for a showpiece, this might be it.  

Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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