Differences in Steck Pianos

[adp]

Hi,

I am currently interested in a Steck piano, located in the UK. However, I have only seen online photos until now, and so it is of course difficult to gauage the condition. However, I have noticed a significant difference between the one I'm currently interested in, and a Steck piano seen previously. The one seen previously had the Steck logo and Eeolian name, whereas this one doesn't seem to have any logos visible in the internals at all. I also notice that the internal workings / layout seem different.

Would be great if anyone could offer any insights.

Thanks

[Bill Kibby]

The internal layout seems quite normal for an overstrung underdamper, which most of them are, and the main difference is the use of metal or wooden standards (supports) on the action.
I would have expected the Steck name at the righthand end of the frame, and the option of the round Aeolian logo between bass and tenor section.
As far as I can see, it is only the block letters on the fall (keyboard lid) that identify it as a Steck.
I would want to examine all the keys and see if there are any marks on or under them.
There is a great deal of confusion between the names Steck, Aeolian, Pianola, Weber and Orchestrelle, and if you search for "pianoforte" together with one of these on Google Images you will see some of that. Pianos use different combinations of these names, but they were all inter-related, and apparently from the Aeolian factory, so you may see old advertisements which mention different combinations of them. The pianos also varied over the years in which names they mentioned, so it is difficult to understand what the makers were doing. Perhaps someone with more experience of player pianos may have more to say on the subject. Certainly, my own Steck Pianola is confusing, and my Numbers page at pianohistory.info talks about the confusion over dates of Steck serial numbers.
Have you found any numbers or dates for it?