Wood, Small & Co.

[mholser]

How an old Wood, Small & Co. piano ended up in my rural corner of California (with the name "Scott Joplin" written on the bottom is likely a story we'll never know). I see there is a similar instrument in a museum in Edinburgh. I'm hoping to find information on the age of this piano, and on restoration. None of the books I've seen have much to offer about how pianos of this age (I presume about 1820) were built. Suggestions would be welcome. This is a six-octave piano, with the fallboard listing as "Wood, Small & Co. Musical Instrument Makers to his Majesty Edinburgh & 27 Little Britain, London". The hand-written number on the wrest-plank is 3079 / 19. I
do not know if the "19" might refer to "1819" as a date. The piano was sold for scrap wood (seriously) for woodcarving the solid mahogany. Searches on the web have been not too fruitful. Thanks in advance.

[Frank Renfrow Tuner]

As I have recently acquired an Andre Stein from about the same year, I have been looking into restoration options quite extensively. I have been advised by most experts to do as little as possible to alter the original parts, use animal glues only for repairs, take extensive photos of the instrument as it was prior to restoration and save all original materials that have to be replaced. Gert Hecher's website covers a good general outline of the basic aims at:

http://www.hecherpiano.com/restaurieren_e.html#text

I would recommend his Muzio Clementi CD as well, played on an Andre Stein Grand from the same period, very nice. Michel's Piano atlas lists Wood, Small & Co., London, Edinburg & Little Britain but no other info and no numbers.

[mholser]

I'll try to get a web-site together as I go through this piano. Some of the major issues will be in reverting many of the past "repairs". I wish they had used hide glue and period screws. This Broadwood of 1808 is nearly identical -- leg style and all.
http://www.periodpiano.com/Stock/images ... dwood2.jpg
Nearly all of the leather hinges in the action are shot. The leather hammer tips have been covered with flannel. The two middle legs and the sustain pedal are missing. Otherwise, California has been kind to this beast -- a few keys even play. I hope you will keep me apprised of your progress.

[Bill Kibby]

The Wood family was famous in the scottish music trade. My files include so many items on... Blair Wood, Cramer Beale & Wood, Marr Wood, Muir Wood, Paterson Sons & Marr Wood Ltd., Wood & Co., Wood, Small & Co., etc., that it is difficult to know how best to file them. Wood, Small & Co. were previously known as Wood & Small, and were based in Edinburgh, but scottish firms found it difficult to compete with London's reputation, and some had offices in London for this reason. Some of these pianos are from the 1820s, others are described as "early victorian". ARe you sure about the address, I have it as 17, Little Britain?

If you have logged in, you can read on...

[mholser]

I suppose this is not a "fallboard" since on these it does not fall, but the label is very clear. I'll try to create a web-site and post some photos soon. Knowing when Wood & Small changed to "& Co." would certainly pin an "earliest" date on this. The "His Majesty" sort of rules out "early Victorian". I think many 1811-1820 warrant notations were for the Regent, and avoided "His Majesty", but the "/19" in the number is tempting.

[mholser]

I now have this chronology in Edinburgh:
Muir, Wood & Co. 13 Leith prior to 1822 [Warrant in 1817-18 at least]
Wood, Small & Co. 12 Waterloo Place 1822-30 [Warrant 1826-30]
George Small becomes Small, Bruce & Co 54 Princes Street 1831-33,
101 George Street 1834-1839 [Warrant 1835-38]
George Wood becomes Wood & Co. at 12-18 Waterloo 1831-59, and 49 George Street 1860 into 20th century
Small is listed as being with Muir, Wood & Co. then as separate in the 1820-24 period, with three addresses. So the piano likely dates from 1826-30 -- a pretty narrow time frame.

[Frank Renfrow Tuner]

Don't feel too bad about the missing parts. My Andre Stein square has most of the action sled missing along with top block of the pedal lyre. Most of the lower strings are gone, and quite a few hammer shanks are broken. I am taking it slow and plan to to take a trip to visit a museum that has a very similar Stein square to take photos and measurements before I start the process of duplicating the missing parts. Mine is a six-legged square as well, although the legs are a bit heavier and rather ornately carved.

[Bill Kibby]

I would be interested to know what the source was for this information. Directories, for example, do not necessarily list the name changes exactly as they happen on the pianos, and it is unwise to think in terms of a name instantly changed in every use of it. I have some of these entries already, and many others for the different Wood firms, but it's always interesting to find more detail. You haven't said what kind of information you are seeking about manufacture / restoration.

[mholser]

Your reference to "Muir, Wood & Co." tied in with some information I found about publishing records -- Both Muir and Small were publishers, and so the National Library of Scotland listed them (see http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/resources/ ... ndell.html along with their warrant dates. There's a Muir, Wood & Co. in a museum nearby (well, 600 km) that I'll try to see. I've found little about recovering the leather hammer tips, whether the flannel covering was correct, what kind of leather should be used for the hammer hinges, etc. There does seem to be resources for strings (I suspect this has been re-strung with later, and higher-tension strings, damaging it). The piano is in transit now -- I'll be starting more of an examination soon to get the overall condition more clear. I'll ask specific questions as I find them, but now have some places to try.

[Barrie Heaton]

what kind of leather should be used for the hammer hinges, etc.

You should use Velum
http://www.uk-piano.org/heckscher/hec_leth.html#vellum

A velum saw is also useful but a hack saw will do animal glue is best for this job

Barrie,

[Frank Renfrow Tuner]

There is an early keyboard instrument supply house called the Instrument Workshop out in your direction (Ashland Oregon)at:

http://www.fortepiano.com/

[Bill Kibby]

It's amazing to think how many piano hammers are still striking quite well after two hundred years, when one realises that they are hinged on nothing more than a thin strip of animal skin. However, it would be incorrect to assume that they were all hinged on vellum, some certainly used leather. This may be as thick as a millimetre, and has the advantage that many products are available to keep it supple, although good old 3-in-1 oil does a good job here. It would be nice to see some photos one day, but don't post them on the forum, it can cause an overload, email them to me if you can.

[Barrie Heaton]

I have use Doe skin in the past the big advantage over velum it is more supple but harder to get thin strips and work with but worth it in the end. I did a full set of dampers on an Erard with doe skin

As posting photos that should not be a problem if they follow the glide lines set out in the "please read me first"

Barrie,

[mholser]

It looks like perhaps kid was used (but the jack hinges are vellum). The leather is almost pure white, and about 1mm thick. I've posted a few pictures on the web:
http://www.holser.com/piano