Mr. Jurgen (et. al.),
I reached out to Gregor Heller with my question, and here is what he said (in a characteristically prompt response, I might add):
Dear Alan!
Thank you for contacting me …. but I guess I cannot help in this matter … I was not aware that Steinway used different scales on mod. B.
… and it's also not very interesting for me because we're using on our bass strings usually our scale which is slightly different to the original (current?) one.
If a customer asks for the original diameters we're using the diameters which are described in the book „Steinway Service Manual" from Max Matthias.
Kind regards
GregorInteresting, eh?
Alan
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Alan Eder, RPT
Herb Alpert School of Music
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
661.904.6483
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2017 13:32
From: Jurgen Goering
Subject: Understanding Markings on Hamburg Steinway String Frame (plate)
Mr Alan,
If you contacted Gregor Heller about he bass strings, he not only would know about the various stringing scales used, he would also deliver bass strings that are probably better than most other string makers could offer.
My 2 cents worth.
https://www.hellerbass.eu/en/
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Jurgen Goering
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-09-2017 16:00
From: Alan Eder
Subject: Understanding Markings on Hamburg Steinway String Frame (plate)
Right you are, Karl! Here is Kirkland's response:
Dear Alan,
Based on your description, I would gather that 1636 is the Hamburg plate number for the year 1967, and that 67 is the year of the plate casting (1967). Number 1045 might be a production number. The numbers on the plate are not a direct indication of the specific string scale. In 1968, Hamburg was producing the AII, which is the same A scale that New York was producing between the years of 1905 and 1913.
Hamburg began mounting the sostenuto on the belly rail circa 1975.
Best of regards,
David R. Kirkland
Customer Service Administrator / Americas
District Sales Manager / Mexico
dkirkland@steinway.com
Telephone: 1-718-204-3182
STEINWAY & SONS
One Steinway Place
Astoria, NY 11105 USA
www.steinway.com
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Alan Eder, RPT
Herb Alpert School of Music
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
661.904.6483
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2017 21:45
From: Karl Roeder
Subject: Understanding Markings on Hamburg Steinway String Frame (plate)
Mr. Eder,
I would bet a yankee dollar that David Kirkland at Steinway would have a bit more than a clue. And Steinway pianos have plates although they don't have jacks or repetition levers.
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Karl Roeder
Pompano Beach FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2017 21:08
From: Alan Eder
Subject: Understanding Markings on Hamburg Steinway String Frame (plate)
I am assisting in the partial rebuild of a Hamburg Steinway model B from 1968. At the tail end of the string frame (AKA "plate"), there are some numbers that are cast in, and then some numbers that were hand-written on. The hand-written numbers are "1045". (The numbers cast into the string frame are "1636" and "67".)
The bass strings will be made by Mapes. Mapes has advised that Hamburg has had a few different bass string scales over the past several decades. We sent them a pattern, etc., but were wondering if the numbers at the tail of the "plate" were an indication of the specific string scale. Any one have a clue?
Thanks,
Alan
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Alan Eder, RPT
Herb Alpert School of Music
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
661.904.6483
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