From Scratch Duo-Art Restoration
By Dave Fowler
To all those more knowledgeable than I,
I recently had a prospective customer come to me with a 1927 Steinway Duo-Art lacking all its player and reproducing components. She is interested in having a system found and restored for her piano. Were the piano an Ampico, I'd have no problem understanding the ins and outs of the situation (having rebuilt many throughout the years), but I have not worked extensively on a Duo-Art in about eight years and don't remember the finer points (or interchangeability) of the stack and various components. I pose here several questions (although if anyone would care to offer their thoughts beyond my queries, it would be most appreciated). 1) Could I use the stack and components from a Steck, Stroud, Weber, or any other Duo-Art licensees with success?, 2) Are the stacks somewhat tailorable (with drilling new pushrod screw holes, say) the way an Ampico stack is (with the blind valve blocks and patches throughout), 3) How does 1927 fair in regard to availability of player components (I am reminded of the Ampico improvements that would have flange fingers/push rods, compensating devices/none) and how much different would the components be in 1927 versus a piano several years earlier? and 4) Does anyone have a Duo-Art system or know of one that is available that might suit my needs?
I realize that this is quite alot of territory to cover, but I'd appreciate the grand tour (so to speak). Any info would be helpful.
Thanks, Dave Fowler |
(Message sent Sat 27 Apr 1996, 05:25:06 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.) |
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