Weber upright from 1884.

[Israel Stein]

Martin,

If there are no structural issues with this piano, I would not 
hesitate to raise it to A=440 after restringing. Weber was a 
high-quality piano manufacturer at this time (for a short while they 
even competed with Steinway and the others for the concert stage) and 
there is ample evidence that in the late 19th century in the US 
pitches quite a bit higher than 440 - as high as 447 - were in use 
(as were lower pitches ca. 435), so pianos had to have been built to 
withstand those tensions.

Happy new year,

Israel Stein



At 10:17 AM 1/1/2008, you wrote:
>List:
>
>I raised the pitch this afternoon on this 1884 New York Weber upright to
>A-435 and still 3 strings broke.(It still has its original strings). I
>spliced them back on. The lady bought it at an auction for her 8 year old
>son to practice on. I advised her and her husband to not let their son
>practice on this piano. It could ruin his sense of pitch. The piano has
>only a partial plate coming up only to the bottom of the pin block.
>Question: if it were restrung what is the feasibility that it could be
>tuned to A-440? The pin block has some large bolts going in at the top
>but they don't go all the way through to the back side. The overall
>design resembles a German birdcage but it is not that. It is overstrung
>with underdampers like modern pianos. But the action comes out like a
>birdcage piano. Any thoughts and opinions appreciated.
>
>Martin Wisenbaker, RPT
>Houston, Texas