Early Julius Bluthner

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 11:14 AM
Subject: Early Julius Bluthner


> Hi Folks
>
>
> Just stumbled onto a pretty early Julius Bluthner grand. Straight strung, 
> three screwed in place struts for the two piece plate ensemble, havnt 
> checked the action out yet.  Patents visiable from 1856.   Big brass 
> letters on the fall board  saying
>
> Patent
> Julius Bluther
> Leipzig
>
> Could not find a serial number anywhere, and it looks like nothings been 
> painted over.  So where do I look ?  Case is in wonderfull shape really.. 
> I'll get some pictures tommorrow. Action is frozen tight... so lots of 
> work there. Good deal of rust on the tuning pins and strings, much dirt 
> but structually looks pretty darned good really.. at least on my first 
> quick look through.  A couple smaller cracks in the sound board. 
> Soundboard.. yes.... grain runs perpendicular to the long bridge... more 
> or less.   Bass bridge may have pulled up a bit... didnt have a good light 
> so I will check it out much closer in the next couple days.
>
> Anyways... definantly fixable without too much trouble.... and it was 
> free.  Thats right... an old lady just gave it to the conservatory to do 
> with as we please.
>
> Pics tommorrow,... but I sure would like some tips as to where to find a 
> serial number.
>
> Cheers
> RicB
> _______________________________________________
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>

    Sounds almost exactly like an 1856 seven-and-a-half-foot grand that I 
tune here in Denver.  It was found in a basement in Vienna, then shipped to 
an antique dealer in San Francisco, then to Denver.  Someone restrung and 
repinned it somewhere and thankfully didn't botch the job.  I put new 
hammers on it which did it a world of good.  This was 20 years ago.  The 
then-owner of Denver Piano Rebuilders had a one-page handout on regulating 
the action, which I still have.  I drew an action diagram to scale so I 
could show it to more experienced technicians to ask about the regulation (I 
was much greener then).   Can't regulate let-off in the piano -- no way to 
get at the regulating screws.
    The serial number, I believe, was over in the left-hand corner somewhere 
in the area where the pinblock meets the soundboard.  The number was #1925, 
and the owner called Bluethner long distance, and they said that put the 
date of manufacture in 1856.  There was another number, VM 1045, but what it 
refers to, I don't know.
    The case is quite ornate, with much inlaid woodwork and fancy inlaid 
brass letters on the fallboard.  I have several pictures, but neglected to 
take one including the serial number area.  They're not digital photos, 
however -- I'd have to scan them.
    Anyway, it plays and sounds great, with a warm Old World chamber-music 
tone.
    --David Nereson, RPT