Circa 1865 Square Piano

[SouthernLady]

Hooray for being able to post video! Back at *the other place*, I had posted about my circa 1865 piano that supposedly came from Ludden & Bates in Atlanta, Georgia. It had been in the same family until I bought it (for myself--happy birthday to me!). The majority of antique heirlooms had remained in their family throughout the years, and when it came time for the widow who had the piano to downsize, neither she nor her other relatives wanted to keep the old piano. My friend, who is playing the piano in the video (a truly gifted pianist), found it listed on Craigslist. I got it for a steal because they had to have it removed from the home to refinish the floors.

The ivory key covers were replaced about 15 years ago when the cabinet was "restored". A professional tuner friend of mine says it's the best example of a square piano in it's basically original condition he has ever seen in his 40+ year career. The strings all appear to be original (miracle it be).

Obviously, it hasn't been tuned in 15 years, either.......

But, here she is:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/110884625@N07/14858940914/in/datetaken/



'Twas my display this past Christmas.

[Neighmond]

Pretty!

I have a Chickering piano in a rosewood cabinet, and the iron plate failed catastrophically one Christmas eve about 3 A.M. Try though we might, the plate only crumbled to bits or cracked again when welded, so I took the action and such out and had a full eighty eight note professional grade electronic instrument put into the case-it has the best of both worlds.

[SouthernLady]

Oh wow... that is horrible! I bet that had quite a pleasant noise, too. I am sorry that happened to yours. But--at least now you don't have a tuning problem. Does it autoplay any songs?

Some days, I wish mine played as smooth as an electric instrument... I haven't really played it in about six months because the sustain pedal's mechanism fell out of the bottom of the piano not long after I recorded my friend playing in this video. It's awfully aggravating to play without that little pedal, much less with being so out of tune.

Still haven't been able to persuade my piano-tuning friend to fix it.

Oh well... looks like another Christmas without carols sung around the old gal.

[Mick_VT]

I have often thought an old player piano would be a fun addition to the house. One of those with the punched sheets, like you see in old western movies.

[Gothichome]

Southernlady, when you first posted it on WG I thought it was an exceptional antique piano, I still think that. I certainly hope you do get it tuned. Just the beefy legs alone are impressive, but yet views as a whole they do not over power the proportions. Good to see it has found a worthy keeper.

[Neighmond]

Mick, you would like a player I bet. My other piano is a Cable Euphona inner player that is good fun any way you look at it!

Southern Lady, my electronic has a feature that will play back MIDI files, or you can play into it and have it play back-it isn't as fun as the old piano though. As for yours, your sustain ought to be easy to fix-as much as you've done in your house it will come easy to fix it-it just has a dowel or rod that goes from the far back end of the pedal that goes up when the pedal is depressed, and the rod has some simple linkage (usually a pin in a hole) that holds it to a tongue on the end of the damper rail. The dampers are over the strings, and the push rod will lift the whole works when depressed and let them down when released. If the pin came out that holds it in, a nail with the head cut off will make a new one in a hurry. Felt washers treated with graphite or nekked, go between the moving parts to deaden the squeaks and thumps.

Oh wow... that is horrible! I bet that had quite a pleasant noise, too. I am sorry that happened to yours. But--at least now you don't have a tuning problem. Does it autoplay any songs?

Some days, I wish mine played as smooth as an electric instrument... I haven't really played it in about six months because the sustain pedal's mechanism fell out of the bottom of the piano not long after I recorded my friend playing in this video. It's awfully aggravating to play without that little pedal, much less with being so out of tune.

Still haven't been able to persuade my piano-tuning friend to fix it.

Oh well... looks like another Christmas without carols sung around the old gal.

[kelt65]

Wow, it does look nice. But it sounds like hell.

[phil]

I keep seeing Pianos and some nice Organs for free on craigslist. Organ donors lol

There almost always seems to be a few and some are really nice.
I'm so tempted to start contacting them all to see if they have problems like a broken casting. I'd feel bad about wrecking a good one but when I think I can get them for free, and they have such beautiful wood parts that I could re-use , to make a mantle or other furniture. also the ivory keys are made of real unobtanium.

here's an example from just yesterday. What a beautiful thing!
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/bnc/zip/5548888161.html

[kelt65]

I keep seeing Pianos and some nice Organs for free on craigslist. Organ donors lol

There almost always seems to be a few and some are really nice.
I'm so tempted to start contacting them all to see if they have problems like a broken casting. I'd feel bad about wrecking a good one but when I think I can get them for free, and they have such beautiful wood parts that I could re-use , to make a mantle or other furniture. also the ivory keys are made of real unobtanium.

here's an example from just yesterday. What a beautiful thing!
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/bnc/zip/5548888161.html

I'd strongly consider trying to install a digital piano inside one of those, if I had the skills.

[phil]

they are hard to move and have a big footprint. As people add suites and such to their homes they get pushed out and around here that scenario happens a lot so there are lots for free. Of course the people giving them away probably don't want a guy like me to show up with a crowbar to remove them in chunks someone with enough space could probably clean up because it won't be too many years before all the free ones are gone. I've noticed some really high end electronic organs too. Some of those organs would probably make great tube amps. The older ones have some fairly exotic wood parts that would be difficult or expensive to buy. most of them seem to come with the stools which is a nice bonus. you really need a flatdeck with a hyab or at least a car trailer to move them. I spoke to my girlfriend about bringing one home and of course you can just imagine the looks I got they are hard to sneak into the house lol