[pianotech] Sorry I asked?

[Susan Kline]

Goodness. I don't think ours was straight-strung, and it certainly wasn't a
spinet. Hope Mark's isn't the earlier kind. Ours was post-war.

Susan

Encore Pianos wrote:
> Hi Mark:
>
> I used to have a customer with a 42" Haddorff console, not a bad piano.  
>
> Here's something I found on the Haddorff  vertichord, however:
>
> Haddorf Piano Co. introduced the 'Vertichord' in 1935, about the same time
> that Winter & Co. came out with its 'Musette'. Although described by Roell
> in The Piano in America, 1890-1940. as 39" consoles, the ones I have seen
> have all been 36" drop-action spinets. They were made to be more appealing
> to buyers than the old upright box, the market for which had drastically
> declined after 1930. As the name suggests, the 'Vertichord" was straight
> strung, a serious design error in such a short-scaled piano. Even a hundred
> years or more before that it was realized that such short pianinos required
> diagonal stringing. Aside from that, the 'Verichords' I have encountered
> have had major problems with glue failures and other structural deficits. It
> certainly can be repaired if you can find someone willing to work on it.
> Realize that it is never going to be worth anything no matter how much you
> spend on it. If someone were intent on establishing a museum of American
> pianos they might well find a 'Vertichord' of some historical interest.
> Otherwise, definately not.
>
> Tom Tuner
>
> This is from Pianoworld in about 2008.
>
> You should probably lower your expectations to the present level of the
> pitch.  
>
> Will
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
> Of Mark Dierauf
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 1:45 PM
> To: Pianotech
> Subject: [pianotech] Sorry I asked?
>
> I recently set up a service call next week for a new client . As part of my
> regular data collection routine I asked the make of the piano, which she did
> not know. She said that she'd let me know later, after she'd had a chance to
> look. She did say that it hadn't been tuned in at least 20 years and that
> the top key didn't work. Well, she has since reported back that the
> instrument in question is a Haddorff Vertichord. I don't think I've ever
> seen one of these, but the Straight-from-the-Marketing-Department name
> arouses my natural suspicion. Anybody ever seen one? Anything unusual I
> should be aware of before I perform the expected 100¢ plus pitch-raise?
> Should I be sorry that I asked?
>
> - Mark
>
>
>
>
>   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20120803/41903700/attachment.htm>