Knabe in Houston

[Euphonious Thumpe]

This is a  superbly built, pre-airconditioning instrument, possibly with laminated ribs, from a port town ( Baltimore ). Many of these were sold in The South after the Civil War. Do what you feel compelled to, to protect it, but it will probably fare as well as any instrument ever made 
( or better ) through such difficulties.

     Euphonious Thumpe


--- On Thu, 9/25/08, Avery Todd <ptuner1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Avery Todd <ptuner1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Knabe in Houston
> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008, 8:56 AM
> List,
> 
> As I'm sure all of you know, a lot of people have been
> without power in
> Houston for quite a while. Almost two weeks, now.
> 
> I have a customer who's still in that position who owns
> a late 1800's Knabe
> grand. Around 1890, I think. My question is that because of
> its age, is this
> instrument more likely than newer types to develop any
> damage/problems in
> the future from not being in air-conditioning for that
> long? It's been
> restrung somewhere along the way but beside minor repairs,
> I believe that is
> all that's ever been done to it, except tuning. The
> weather hasn't been TOO
> bad but the temperature *has* gotten into the low to mid
> 90's and humidity
> into the 70%+ range during the day. I'm concerned
> primarily about any
> possible structural problems with an instrument this old.
> 
> I'm hoping that some of you who are more experienced
> with wood of all kinds
> could give me some information here. Thanks.
> 
> Avery Todd, RPT
> Houston, TX