Broadwood questions

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DoctorAl
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Joined: 07 Oct 2005, 15:10

Broadwood questions

Post by DoctorAl »

I'm not sure if this should be here or in the history section, so please move if appropriate.

I have a 5'2" Broadwood grand, serial 54863, which dates it to late 1925 if I've read things right. It has clearly had an "interesting" life, but I like its sound and it wasn't expensive.

The music desk has clearly been replaced at some time by something cobbled together that doesn't fit correctly. Would a piano of this date have had one of the ornate ones carved with "Broadwood" in the fretwork? What are the chances of coming across an appropriate desk that would fit?

The legs and pedal supports are square-ish - are they likely to be replacements?

The keys have been recovered with celluloid at some point, and are rather dirty, particularly the sides of the sharps. What's the best way to clean them? I'd be tempted to dismantle the keyboard to get better access to the sharps and clean the keys individually. One or two of the key covers are also coming unstuck - what glue should I use?

While I'm looking to do simple maintenance work myself for cost reasons (last night I cured a random noise by finding a loose washer and fixed a non-working note in a way I lack the technical vocabulary to describe) I'm not looking to go beyond my depth - we use a professional tuner.

Thanks for any help - I may have more questions soon!

Al
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