Current research suggests that the tensile strength of pre-modern piano wire differed from that of modern piano wire. For this reason, we use Paulello nickel plated plain wire in varying tensile strengths. To the best our ability, with what information is known, we try and match the tensile strengths of the wire used in the…
Chickering produced outstanding Erard and Brown style actions. We retain the original actions and their geometries. Pianists often comment on how “they play themselves”, or “played on this piano, these passages finally make sense”. The high leverage actions have a key dip a little less than modern actions. Pianists will sometime s require a little…
Heavy and /or hard felt modern hammers cannot produce the pre-modern sound we are looking for. We use a very soft version of Weikert Special felt which is only produced in custom runs. It is not usually available from supply houses. Hammer weight is controlled and minimized as required by high leverage actions. If other…
The envied textural clarity as well as pitch clarity these pre-modern pianos possess are produced by low compression, low stress soundboards, with minimal crown and minimal board loading. Modern soundboards, on the other hand, are high compression, high stress assemblies. If a modern high compression soundboard is placed in a pre-modern instrument, the pre-modern shell…
Action parts for these pianos are not in current production. This means we replicate original parts as necessary. We have the machinery, appropriate stock of woods, and knowledge of the materials to reproduce parts of an action or indeed whole actions. It is common for us to reproduce the entire hammer shank set. These pre-1900…
