Friday 22 August 2014

Bluthner Pianos

At Leipzig, in 1853 Julius Bluthner began making pianos. The qualities of Bluthner Pianos soon won them recognition among the great names of the piano trade and among the Royal Courts of numerous countries - Queen Victoria, the Russian Tsar and many others owned Bluthner Pianos!

Julius Bluthner worked hard at creating a network of international contacts to ensure he could establish a truly global demand for his pianos. Here in the UK, Whelpdale, Maxwell & Codd was founded in 1876 - purely to import Bluthner Pianos.
After surviving the First World War, and then the Great Depression, the business suffered a severe blow when, during the Second World War, their factory was bombed in an air raid in 1943. The difficult, East German politics of the time meant recovery was very slow. However, production of Bluthner Pianos began once more in 1948.

The firm was nationalised in the 1970s but in 1990, the business was given back to the Bluthner family.

People still talk about the ‘Bluthner’ tone! The beauty of a good piano is found in its tone - Somehow, the Bluthner pianos, more often than not, seemed to get it right! Solidly built to last, many Bluthner pianos, 100 years old or more, are still being used and often still sounding as clear and pure as ever. People love them!

For a while Bluthners used their own Patent Action - vastly different from what has become the standard ‘roller’ action. These patent actions used a slightly shallower touch, but when working properly are, even now, a delight to play! 

Another notable innovation was the ‘Aliquot’ system: a 4th string was given to the upper two thirds of the treble strings. This 4th string was not struck by the hammer but was left to pick up the vibrations of the notes ‘sympathetically’ - the result was a very subtle extra layer of harmonic overtones. Quality has a voice of its own! In a Bluthner Piano, this voice is always in good form!


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Sunday 17 August 2014

Schimmel Pianos

Schimmel Pianos, established in 1885, have a proven record of building pianos of excellence. For me these pianos have become one of my personal favourites - simply because they are so very good. I have had a couple in my workshop over the last few years and have been deeply impressed by the sheer quality. Always respond well to work and are mechanically and tonally reliable. They are a piano Tuner/Tech's piano! 

The Schimmel Piano Company has navigated itself through tough economic conditions by manufacturing some pianos, for a time, in Poland and China. Making the most of computerised machinery, together with their traditions of handcrafting expertise, the Schimmel Piano deserves the highest esteem of all who have the privilege of playing one!

Established in 1855 in Neuschonefeld, the company grew steadily and had a factory built in nearby Leipzig - opened in 1897. During the Great Depression, production was moved to Braunschweig as part of a co-op of piano manufacturers.

In more modern times, 2003, a more moderately-priced range of pianos was produced in Poland under the 'Vogel' name. These were replaced by the Wilhelm Schimmell brand some 10 years later.

In 2007, like some other piano manufacturers, Schimmel imported a Chinese-made piano. These 'May Berlin' pianos were discontinued about 5 years later.

Personally, I'd like to see many more Schimmel pianos here in England - simply because they are so good!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Bechstein Model 9 Repair


The Repair of a Bechstein Model 9.

The model 9 is my favourite Bechstein upright - providing it is not too old! Before taking the action to the workshop, I quickly raised the pitch so that the final tuning - after the repairs - ought to be nice and easy! 

As it was, the piano played almost acceptably - hints of a few lurking problems, misfiring notes etc. and for a Bechstein, a heavier touch than normal! Looking at some of the flange centres today, it is hard to understand how it worked at all. It is remarkable these pianos just seem to keep working even when the centre-pins are very stiff.

Cleaning the keys:  Getting the grime off the sides was not a pleasant job - the dirt was black, thick and greasy. The wood of the keys is now beautifully clean - good as new!
Damper Springs fitted

Work on the dampers - new springs, re-centring - and recovering the felts. All somewhat tedious and time-consuming but so important to get these things 'just-so!'

Felts recovered.
Fortunately, the hammers seem to have remained clean since a moderate overhaul - I reckon sometime during the 1960s.
Piano repair complete!  - A fine example of a Model 9.
Refitting the repaired parts is very rewarding! it means the job is progressing well and nearly done! Once all back together the regulation begins. This is the most important part. Everything has to work in sync to get the best from the piano.


There we have it! The repair is now complete and once again, the lovely qualities of the instrument are restored - smooth, light touch and a clear and strong tone!

Tuner's Journal

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