A fair amount of my work involves vintage instruments and vintage actions. The aesthetic tastes of these critters resonates with my own aesthetics.
I approach these from a number of different ways depending on the client's desires, re historic restoration, vs redesigns. The redesigns start from the premise that the aesthetic, ie what they were trying to achieve with the various systems, needs to be respected. If a redesign happens, its goal is to create a working action, using modern parts, but which is clearly chasing the original idea of the action, not trying to make into a modern factory offering. I do this often on vintage Chickerings. Not because, the action design of those instruments was challenged, quite the contrary, the design was exceptional. However they go to the dump because techs and clients are afraid of the parts availability problem, and just don't understand the Brown action or non-standard Erard/Herz settups. So sometimes, I redesign, respecting the excellence of the original design, and chase that original aesthetic.
On straight historic restorations, the older I get, the more I respect the original fabric. However, it can be expensive to manufacture parts, if the wood is toast, missing, etc. So, its a process of determining if high function is required, and can the original materials continue to function in a restored state, or not, how much of the original fabric is still there, etc. Both budget and level of function are considered here.
Also, there is Hampshire Piano, Craig Hair. They do a really interesting reuse of the original fabric. They only work on what they want to work on, so, their interests would need to align with yours, in order for them to take it on, I believe.
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Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2021 20:39
From: William Shull
Subject: Rebuilders forum
Hi Joe, your NYC chapter president is trying to secure my presence on zoom to teach my early Steinway restoration class, which covers this piano. I am also teaching it "at" Orlando. Happy to talk if you'd like to reach out.
Regards,
Bill
Bill Shull, RPT, M.Mus.
www.shullpiano.com
www.periodpiano.org
909 796-4226
Sent from my iPhone
Original Message:
Sent: 2/24/2021 8:01:00 PM
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Rebuilders forum
A client « accidentally » acquired a 7'2 » (early C?) Steinway from 1871. It has original board, likely original block. Keyset was converted to capstan screw (from rocker.). Metallic tubular action frame (Jim I's favorite, heh heh!) Performance extremely poor. Magic line is not crossed during keystroke. I'm wondering if there's a rebuilders network, specifically for old designs, and for those who may be interested in the challenge of resurrecting or redesigning some of the original features?
Perhaps it has some design elements worthy of study- early soundboard/ribs, rim and plate design (plate does not contain tuning pin fields, it stops at the flange.) There's a laminated bass cutoff that is additionally supported by bolts threaded into a sort of cast iron sub-plate that is supported by the belly rail. "Modern" legs and lyre.
So my question is- any leads on how to get info to any potentially interested parties? Pics can be acquired.
Thanks in advance.
Joe Wiencek
NYC