John Brinsmead & Sons

JWilliams · Post by **JWilliams** » 05 Sep 2006, 04:47

I am currently living in Newfoundland (Canada), and have recently acquired a piano that I have discovered was manufactured by John Brinsmead & Sons. It has been painted in the past, so I do not know the serial number, but have been told that it is a "bird cage" design, and that basically it is no good. I have been told that the piano is not repairable, and because it was manufactured in London there is no way to get the parts to fix it. I have been advised that my only options are to sell it as an antique or throw it out, but I do not want to throw it away. Is there any way that I can salvage it? It is currently very badly out of tune and unplayable.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 05 Sep 2006, 14:30

I would burn this piano! Well, if you are keen to rescue it then you would need to get a piano technician to look at it. Make sure the wrest (tuning) pins are tight, that there are no splits in the soundboard or bridges and the hammers have some felt on them. Now, thats the expensive stuff out the way. The rest is felt replacement and regulating. Your technician will advise you but don't think its going to be cheap.personaly, I would see how good it burns and how many marshmellows i could cook. Sit back and listen to the sweet sound of strings getting hot

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 05 Sep 2006, 18:05

Brinsmead pianos were actually quite well-made. Yes, a lot of them were overdampers (what the americams call 'birdcage') but they are usually perfectly playable and tuneable provided they haven't been roasted or dried out in american heating/air conditioning. I find that the dislike of the overdamper action is generally based on terror of the unknown and rather than sit and LOOK at the piano action, the 'tuner' panics and condemns it so that he won't have to work on it! It is actually a fairly simple system of levers; if you got yourself a book like Reblitz' tome on pianos and their repair, you'd probably manage to mend the action all right on your own. The tuning is another matter...you need to find a sympathetic tuner who isn't a wimp and who'd be prepared to give it a chance!

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 05 Sep 2006, 18:47

Gill the Piano wrote: The tuning is another matter...you need to find a sympathetic tuner who isn't a wimp and who'd be prepared to give it a chance!

Most Canadian and US tuners use muting strips, most of them would not know what a Paps wedge was if they fell over it, that is the main problem they have with tuning overdamper pianos, using muting strips is hard work most of the aural tuners when they have use a wedge dont want to go back because of the speed over muting strips. The ETD tuners well.. they are more suited to using a muting strip and most overdampers bleed sound to much for some of the ETD to cope

So try to find an aural tuner

Gill the Piano wrote:who isn't a wimp

Barrie,

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 05 Sep 2006, 19:11

stop encouraging the guy! brimsmead are good pianos but when you say its been painted, sounds awful, and dosn't play, well, don't sound very good. There comes a point in a pianos life when its time to retire. Gone are the days I used to work hours on spring & loops, hours trying to regulate the over dampers but finding the damper wires have rusted in the wooden bodies.Now, I see it my mission to enlighten people to better actions, overstrungs and make better sweet music. If you want an antique, buy and old table. If you want to play and enjoy a piano, spend the money and enjoy!

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 05 Sep 2006, 19:26

sussexpianos wrote:stop encouraging the guy! brimsmead are good pianos but when you say its been painted, sounds awful, and dosn't play, well, don't sound very good.

Painted white perhaps?

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 06 Sep 2006, 09:05

I like sprayed ones

Painted looks diy

Why not paint it in UV paint and hang some uv lights around, make it stand out and make it into a drinks cabinet.
dell boy style

JWilliams · Post by **JWilliams** » 06 Sep 2006, 14:34

actually the previous owners had it professionally painted a speckled pink. So of course if it can be fixed I will be having it restored to it's original wood color

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 06 Sep 2006, 17:29

SPECKLED PINK???????????

They ain't all locked up yet...
And I'll encourage him if i want...it's time the merkins learned to use a papp's wedge! If ALL the overdampers get chopped up, in a hundred years' time they'll be fighting over 'em like the restorers/conservators do over the square pianos...

PS How can they use a muting strip at the very top end, where there's only a bit of speaking length? Or at the end of the dampered treble, where there's no room for felt between hammer blow and damper?

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 07 Sep 2006, 09:09

mmm, speckled pink, have not done one of them. I can do marble effect which looks different.
Always fancied doing a green satin one!! Got a 20 year old Eylisian upright begging for a change in colour!!
Last time I had a square piano in the workshop, was asked to rip out the sounboard and make it into a storage cabinet. At least it looked nice on the outside.

Geminoz · Post by **Geminoz** » 07 Sep 2006, 13:56

Not everyone can afford to "spend the money and enjoy".

Some of us think ourselves lucky to have a piano at all.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 07 Sep 2006, 14:07

well Geminoz, If you have the transport, I'll give you some pianos, will save me money having them smashed up!
don't have any pink or whites ones though

and some are overstrungs!!whole sale!

Geminoz · Post by **Geminoz** » 08 Sep 2006, 13:39

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 08 Sep 2006, 17:54

An old piano tuner once said to me that "if they wanted or could afford a better piano, they'd have one. Just make the best of what they've got."
I've never forgotten that!
Meanwhile, Gem, if you get a sweaty, p*ssed off postie with an overdamper piano in his bike basket covered in stamps, you know who it's from...!

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 09 Sep 2006, 08:18

I cannot seem to fit the piano through the holes in the new postale charge leaflet! may have to go special delivery.
Some the the richiest looking houses with flashy cars and have the biggest TV's I have seen, have old straight strungs which sometimes, just soemtimes, I wonder if its worth tuning. True, there are people who cannot afford a good piano, and i do personally do my best and finish off with some basic regulation to help the poor player out. But there are some poeple who would rather spend Ł40k on a flashy car (and loose Ł10k in the first year) than spend Ł1k on a nice piano for their kids.

Geminoz · Post by **Geminoz** » 09 Sep 2006, 12:55

I am just grateful to have a piano at all.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 09 Sep 2006, 14:30

is there a large piano market in oz?

Always wondered. Two friends of mine( tuners from college) went traveling around but couldn't find much work.

Geminoz · Post by **Geminoz** » 09 Sep 2006, 16:23

Sorry, I can't really answer that with any accuracy....but I would think not as big a market as UK.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 09 Sep 2006, 17:28

Sussex; have you ever found a nice piano for a client, told them all about it (year, overstrung, underdamped, ivory keys, tuned regularly, concert pitch, etc.) only to be asked 'What colour is it?' Now that REALLY hacks me off!

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 12 Sep 2006, 09:30

well, It is a shame that many people do not take advice from tuners who know a good piano when they see one. A high % of pianos are sold on looks rather than its touch/sound etc. And yes, its does hack me off!

I have sold a few pianos just from a photograph because "it has pretty legs"

I once rebuilt a nice grand, restrung it, new hammers and frenchpolished to a high finish. It looked great! Played well. It is now sitting in a private library doing nothing because the customer didn't know what to put in the corner!