Victorian Chickering Upright Piano

[58limited]

This was given to me and I went and got it this week. It is HEAVY! I do not know piano terminology so forgive me if I get things wrong. The frame that the strings mount to is cast iron - 1" thick, hence the weight. This was way harder to move than my Chambers Imperial. In fact, my idea of using furniture dollies didn't work, so we aborted the move at noon and returned at 5pm. My friend, who works at an auto paint & body shop, brought some extra muscle and - low and behold - the paint and body shop happened to have a set of piano hand trucks/dollies for some reason and he brought those as well. These made moving the piano much easier.

 

This piano was made in Boston in about 1885 and is from Galveston, Texas. Unfortunately, after looking at it closely, it will not need a simple restring and tuning. It will probably need a full restoration. The finish is just bad enough that I don't think I can simply clean off the years of furniture wax. At least half of the strings are broken, quite a bit of ivory is missing off of the keys, return springs broken, three hammers broken off and missing, other hammers show evidence of heavy use. However, it does look good in my living room. I'll decide what to do later, but a quick internet search shows complete restorations can cost over $10,000. I don't know if this piano needs that much work or if it could be refurbished for less.

 

Chickering was established in Boston in 1823 (the first American piano manufacturer) and made some of the best pianos in the world. Generally, pianos from this era are considered high-end pianos.

 

[58limited]

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[58limited]

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[supersuds]

A friend bought a 1941 Chickering baby grand awhile back. It sounds great.

She says, however, that pianos that aren't used tend to be difficult to get back into tune and to keep in tune.

Obviously, your piano needs a lot more than tuning. What I'm getting at is, if you don't play the piano yourself, a full restoration might be a waste of money. It would be hard to ever get your investment out of it.

If you're going to play it and use it, that's a different matter. Up to you, of course....

 

[58limited]

My niece plays, I was thinking of making a gift of it but the cost of refurbishing it is making me rethink that. For now, it looks good in my living room doing nothing.

 

[crevicetool]

Beautiful Chickering David...

It's very similar to Abe Lincoln's - this is a lousy scan from a piano book I have, but you can see the similarities. I'm a Chickering enthusist. I've got a 1915 Chickering Grand that I am restoring/rebuilding/automating with a MIDI player. If you can find the serial number somewhere on your piano I can give you a year of munufacture. I would say that as long as the soundboard has not detached from the case, cracks (if there are any- most likely there are)can be repaired quite successfully and don't necessarily mean the end of the instrument's life providing they are not huge. You are lucky that your plate (the heavy iron thing) extends beyond the pin block(s). Earlier uprights (even grands for that matter) had plates that end where the pin block begins and unless the instrument is in really fine shape or rare most restorers feel that those without the full plate are not worth restoration costs. Last I checked, you could still get salvaged Ivories for the keys from Schaff Piano supply in Chicago. However, they are salvaged pieces as you can't get new ivory. I would consider topping them with any of the keytop material they offer - they look and feel great. Restringing can be expensive, and tricky. I've done it four times on three pianos. Any reputable furniture refinisher could do wonders with the case on your piano. Chickering used the finest woods for their pianos. Yours is probably mahagany but may be rosewood veneered. It was said that Chickerings are troublesome because no two are identical even when they shared the same style and came from the factory one after the other. The fact was that each one was "tweeked" to perfection for that piano, and if that meant that a part from one didn't fit in another - oh well!

The action parts are relitivly inexpencsive, and you can bet that every one of the tape checks will need to be replaced. Amasingly almost all of these parts are still available: hammers, springs, felts, etc. ya just gotta know where to get 'em.

I don't know about $10,000 for a restoration. I'm just a "handy man/jack of all trades" type but am able to do my own piano restoration (although I did study to be a piano technichian - that may help) - but 10K seems awfully high - jus' sayin'...

Best of luck on your Chickering!

BTW - the black keys are real ebony. Properly reconditioned, they will look and feel brand new.

 

[58limited]

Rick

Thanks for the input. Only one place I searched online actually posted price estimates for restoration. They offer three restoration levels and the cheapest runs $9500-$11,500. I myself was wondering at the prices but have no experience with restoring or refurbishing a piano. It appears that they offer a "Frame Off" restoration as we say in the vintage car hobby.

 

I called a local piano shop and was told that they have retired and only do basic tuning and maintenance. They referred me to another guy who is a musician as well as a repairman. He is coming next week to look at it. He said he would assess the piano and let me know if it is worth the cost of refurbishing based on my needs. I don't think he does cabinet refinishing, just strings and tuning. I'll see what he says about the hammers, springs, etc. - he might be able to do them as well based on our conversation. He can probably recommend someone who can refinish the cabinet too.

 

He is familiar with Chickerings and spouted off a lot of general info about them including the fact that he thinks they have one of the best sounds. All I know is if I have to move it again, I WILL hire professionals to move it.

 

[58limited]

Rick - serial number

The serial number is damaged - the first two numbers are scratched up but I was able to shine a light at the right angle to see it clearly: 65078. It is located at the top right of the iron plate - you can see it in one of my photos above. I am calling this the "Data Plate" although it is inked onto the plate. Here it is in its entirety:

 

Scale 67

Chickering & Sons

Improved Music Desk, Fall, and Name Board

Patented October 31st, 1876

New Upright Piano Forte Action

Patented Nov. 27th, 1877

65078

 

[this post was last edited: 8/9/2013-22:54]

 

[crevicetool]

The year 1885 is spot on according to your serial number. Think about it - the war between the states was fought only twenty years prior! I don't mean to simplify things too much but the action of a piano is nothing more than a bunch of wood levers, springs, felt, paper punchings, buckskin, and some cloth. Yours is modern enough that it would be relatively easy to obtain parts. The piano supply company I mentioned above can duplicate the entire scale of hammers. You sent them the first and last from each section and they will make a new set. The damper felts come in sets and are already tapered to the size of the string group (unison) being silenced.

Folks with a just better than average mechanical aptitude can do much of the work and save a lot of cost. You just have to think of things in different terms. Bearings are made of felt rather than steel, and the adjustment of parts such as the key travel (key dip) is adjusted by the addition or removal of paper punchings and cardboard. The same is true for key height.

Re-stringing should be left for professionals, or at least guided by one. The pin block will have to be inspected to see if it can withstand a re-stringing. The cost of having a new pin block made and then having it installed can be huge. They are often times morticed into the case as well as bolted to the plate. But, if in good shape, oversized tuning pins may be all that is necessary.

I don't mean to sound as if a piano technician isn't necessary. After the basic mechanical work is done, a tech will be required to properly regulate, voice, and tune the piano (several times initially). This is where the craftsmanship that only a tech can provide will be necessary.

All of this is of course if the instrument is to be played. If it's thought to be beyond that, it's still a great looking piece of furniture. I refinished seventeen pianos for a guy here in Georgia. Never my best wood finishing work, mind you - he wasn't interested in that - only to turn them for a higher profit. Having said that, I would get $500.00 to strip, stain/paint and finish an upright, $800.00 for a Grand. $1000.00 if I painted the Grand black. This was about fifteen years ago.

Sorry - I've rambled....

I can post some pics of some of the operations I've done on my personal piano if you would like to see them.

 

[58limited]

Rick,

I would love to see photos. How do you get access? Does the piano cabinet come apart? I know the top front panel comes off as does the kick panel under the keys (BTW - no lost gold coins hidden there, just an old 2 cent matchbox in poor shape). How do you get access to the keys for servicing?

 

I do know that the music stand (center of top front piece) needs work. The stops in back are gone and when the base of the stand is folded back, the legs go straight into the hammers.

 

[crevicetool]

I'll post some pictures tonight.

In the meantime, by removing the two screws (if they're still there)in the nameboard hinges the two-piece nameboard/fallboard can be lifted out. It rotates on small shafts at either end of the nameboard. Once the screws are removed fold down the nameboard about halfway and lift it out. Once that is out, any piece that is supposed to be removed without doing any woodworking can be removed exposing the action. Be careful not to knock any shims loose that level any support pieces. More than likely, they will be attached at the ends so not to disturb the keys or action. The action itself should come out in one super-structure - but those are held in by any number of means. Usually by bolts on each of the frames between each section of hammers. You'll have to scrutinize the area to see how things are attached. USUALLY - the action is held in by those bolts, and then it can be lifted out by tilting it toward you and lifting - BUT be careful that doing so doesn't cause anything to get caught such as damper wires etc. Another thing to check is the trapwork. (The series of levers and rods coming from the pedals). Sometimes they attach with screws, other times they merely are guided by pins. Again watch for any bushings/shims etc.

 

[kenmore71]

If you were a pianist AND a piano enthusiast, I would wholeheartedly agree that you should see if a restoration of this piano is possible.  Chickering made some of the finest pianos in the Americas at that time and as others have said as long as the iron frame is solid and the soundboard has only minor cracks it should be restorable.  However, unless you do a lot of the work yourself this is going to be an expensive project and perhaps not worth it in the long run.  

 

[crevicetool]

Well, here goes...

There's sixty-one pics altogether, and I may have to break this up into episodes!

To start with, this is what mine looked like originally while still in the bed of the truck...

 

[crevicetool]

stripping:

 

[crevicetool]

stripped:

 

[crevicetool]

Soundboard before/during:

 

[crevicetool]

Soundboard after. These decals as well as your fallboard decal are still available.

 

[crevicetool]

Pinblock.

Making measurements etc. to the new pinblock material using the old ones as guides:

 

[crevicetool]

All kinds of cuts I've never had to make before building furniture...