Pianotech

  • 1.  Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-26-2024 19:40
    I just measured the old strings in the piano and they seem awfully weird. The piano has been restrung several times so I don't think what im getting is original. I only have the first edition of the Travis stringing book. 

    Does anyone have the string scale for the Chickering Scale 121 Quarter Grand. Is there is data base for that? It's a 5'6"

    Thanks

    Randy Woltz, RPT


  • 2.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Posted 12-26-2024 20:20

    Hi, Incase it helps I have uploaded a picture of the 1/4 grand chickering scale 122.  This is from the John Travis second edition book.

    Matt walworth 



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    Matthew W.
    A.M.O. Pianos
    Lebanon, TN 37087
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  • 3.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 08:02

    Randall,

    Does this one have individual looped strings in the tenor section? My 121 is from 1907 and does have these. When I restrung it my goal was to keep it as close to original as possible, which I did do, with the small exception of a little Puresound wire changes in the very low tenor area (IIRC 😉).

    I'll have to look around to find the data.  In a different 121 about 30 years ago I rescale that section with two wound bichords (again IIRC). This was a client's piano. It was a pretty good improvement.  I'm sure these days much more could be done to improve it. 

    BTW, my 121 has the most gorgeous clear treble one could ask for. Stunning! 

    Peter Grey Piano Doctor 



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    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    (603) 686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 13:12

    Thanks for your help! My piano as I measured the wire starts at .040 in the low tenor and the last four unisons are .028! As I said, the piano has been restrung several times. Yes, the tenor section has individual loops. The Chickering I did 8 years ago had normal loops. 



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    Randall Woltz RPT
    San Juan Capistrano CA
    (714) 731-7479
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 13:22

    Peter Grey, your piano is the closest to mine in age and type. Let me know if you can find the scale or tell me what #26 low tenor starts at and maybe the wire sizes at the breaks. I can figure it out from there. Thanks



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    Randall Woltz RPT
    San Juan Capistrano CA
    (714) 731-7479
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 14:08
    Randy,

    I have the factory scale (plain wire) for the 121 in my Chickering archive records and can send later today.

    Regards,

    Bill

    Bill Shull, RPT, M.Mus.
    www.shullpiano.com
    www.periodpiano.org
    909 796-4226

    Sent from my iPhone



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-28-2024 11:32
    The scale 122 is an entirely different piano, close to 5' in length, which was introduced after the first "Quartergrand", the 121, which was 5'6" in length.  I've shared with Randy by email the factory scale for the 121, from the archives of the Aeolian Corporation, which I obtained at the home of Paul Monachino many years ago with an archival record trove.

    Period Piano Collection, which is preparing a Chickering exhibit, has both pianos in its collection and has images up on its "Collection" page.  A page update later today will include more images for these two scales, but it's worth a look even now. 


    Bill




    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 08:48

    Randall, My Records have this data as 5' 8" which could be wrong on the size. Don't know the scale ###. 25 note bass with top 5 bass notes as trichords. You could compare some speaking lengths. This was original as measured.

    Piano Mfg/Info/Filename: chic58quartero.txt / Chickering 5' 8" 1/4 Grand Serial # 122069 |
    Default Unified Gauge Method. (Metric plain wire tension will be about 5 lbs. per string lower than printed.)

    Note Type SPLM GAUGE DIAM DIWO TEN Brk% INH ATSD
    88 TP 51 13.5 .032 167 65 18.47
    87 TP 53 13.5 .032 160 62 17.8505
    86 TP 56 13.5 .032 160 62 15.9892
    85 TP 58 13.5 .032 152 59 15.69
    84 TP 61 14 .033 160 58 15.2405
    83 TP 65 14 .033 162 59 13.2568
    82 TP 69 14 .033 162 59 11.7643
    81 TP 72 14 .033 157 57 11.1484
    80 TP 76 14 .033 156 57 10.0699
    79 TP 80 14 .033 154 56 9.2062
    78 TP 85 14.5 .034 165 56 8.5766
    77 TP 90 14.5 .034 164 56 7.6968
    76 TP 95 14.5 .034 163 56 6.9503
    75 TP 100 14.5 .034 161 55 6.3506
    74 TP 106 14.5 .034 161 55 5.652
    73 TP 112 14.5 .034 160 55 5.0943
    72 TP 118 15 .035 168 54 4.9082
    71 TP 125 15 .035 168 54 4.3739
    70 TP 133 15 .035 170 55 3.8181
    69 TP 142 15 .035 172 56 3.3105
    68 TP 151 15 .035 173 56 2.9107
    67 TP 159 15 .035 171 55 2.6559
    66 TP 168 15.5 .036 180 55 2.5295
    65 TP 178 15.5 .036 180 55 2.2533
    64 TP 188 15.5 .036 179 55 2.0313
    63 TP 198 15.5 .036 177 54 1.852
    62 TP 211 15.5 .036 179 55 1.6126
    61 TP 224 15.5 .036 180 55 1.4229
    60 TP 234 16 .037 185 53 1.4156
    59 TP 246 16 .037 182 53 1.3019
    58 TP 259 16 .037 180 52 1.1876
    57 TP 273 16 .037 178 51 1.0809
    56 TP 288 16 .037 176 51 0.9823
    55 TP 302 16 .037 173 50 0.9088
    54 TP 319 16.5 .038 181 50 0.8662
    53 TP 335 16.5 .038 178 49 0.7986
    52 TP 354 16.5 .038 177 48 0.7192
    51 TP 373 16.5 .038 175 48 0.6552
    50 TP 395 16.5 .038 175 48 0.5843
    49 TP 417 16.5 .038 174 48 0.5273
    48 TP 428 17 .039 172 45 0.5618
    47 TP 452 17 .039 171 44 0.5067
    46 TP 478 17 .039 170 44 0.4557
    45 TP 504 17 .039 168 44 0.4148
    44 TP 538 17.5 .040 180 45 0.3759
    43 TP 573 17.5 .040 182 45 0.3278
    42 TP 605 17.5 .040 180 45 0.2973
    41 TP 640 17.5 .040 180 45 0.2657
    40 TP 676 18 .041 188 44 0.2517
    39 TP 719 18 .041 189 44 0.2213
    38 TP 751 18 .041 184 43 0.2083
    37 TP 792 18 .041 182 43 0.1894
    36 TP 831 18.5 .042 188 42 0.1834
    35 TP 869 18.5 .042 183 41 0.1723
    34 TP 900 19 .043 183 39 0.1765
    33 TP 935 19 .043 176 38 0.17
    32 TP 964 19 .043 167 36 0.1685
    31 TP 993 19 .043 158 34 0.1679
    30 TP 1021 20 .045 163 32 0.1846
    29 TP 1044 20 .045 151 29 0.1906
    28 TP 1065 21 .047 153 27 0.2151
    27 TP 1081 21 .047 141 25 0.2266
    26 TP 1096 21 .047 129 23 0.2409
    25 TS 1027 17 .039 .063 169 44 0.134
    24 TS 1044 17 .039 .064 160 42 0.1353
    23 TS 1059 17.5 .040 .067 160 40 0.1424
    22 TS 1073 18 .041 .069 156 37 0.1525
    21 TS 1087 18 .041 .069 142 33 0.1598
    20 BS 1100 18 .041 .073 145 34 0.155
    19 BS 1114 19 .043 .076 143 31 0.1778
    18 BS 1126 19.5 .044 .080 144 29 0.1873
    17 BS 1138 19.5 .044 .084 144 29 0.1844
    16 BS 1152 19.5 .044 .093 160 33 0.1668
    15 BS 1161 20 .045 .093 145 28 0.1911
    14 BS 1173 21 .047 .103 162 29 0.1983
    13 BS 1181 21 .047 .105 152 27 0.2066
    12 BS 1191 22 .049 .110 151 25 0.2358
    11 BS 1201 22 .049 .121 164 27 0.217
    10 BS 1209 23 .051 .121 149 23 0.267
    9 UD 1217 23 .051 .181 297 45 0.2111
    8 UD 1224 23.5 .053 .183 274 39 0.2382
    7 UD 1232 23.5 .053 .191 269 38 0.2385
    6 UD 1237 23.5 .053 .207 283 40 0.2311
    5 UD 1245 23.5 .053 .212 268 38 0.236
    4 UD 1250 24 .055 .215 248 32 0.2697
    3 UD 1255 24 .055 .218 228 30 0.2833
    2 UD 1260 24 .055 .224 217 28 0.2912
    1 UD 1265 24.5 .057 .233 210 26 0.3274


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    Tremaine Parsons RPT
    Georgetown CA
    (530) 333-9299
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  • 9.  RE: Need string scale for Chickering Quarter Grand Scale 121

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-27-2024 23:14

    Randall,

    I have the following: 

    Gauge    Unisons

    13.5           4

    14              6

    14.5           6

    15              8

    15.5          8

    16              6

    16.5          6

    17             6

    17.5         4

    18            3

    18.5         2

    19            4

    This is as read directly off the handwritten numbers on the plate as I did not refinish it. 

    It appears that I used Puresound SS wire on notes 28, 27, 26 so the #19 gauge portion has the following sizes:

    Note 28   .043" Mapes

    Note 28   .043" Puresound 

    Note 27   .044" Puresound 

    Note 26   .045" Puresound 

    The transition is pretty good. There are 6 trichord bass notes, 10 bichord bass notes, and 9 monochords. 

    Hope this helps. I was also confident that Bill would have the correct data anyway. 

    Peter Grey Piano Doctor 



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    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    (603) 686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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    Original Message