Steck Upright

[sgtmike]

Back in July I mentioned that I had a Steck (ex) pianola, 54" tall with a double iron frame. I have finally moved the clutter surrounding it and been able to see that the frame has cast into it "Model 26". It also has a plate inside that says "Style 306P". It is clearly an American design with the double folding fall, but I have been unable to find another similar piano anywhere on the internet. Does anyone have any information about this particular model? I intend to start rebuilding the piano action in the near future: I have never seen such extended prolongs, but the tone is quite amazing!

[Bill Kibby]

Player pianos are a bit too modern for me, but someone else may answer.

If you have the serial number, there is a slight possibility that it will conform to the published dates! See my comments about Steck numbers at

http://pianohistory.info/numbers.html

[sgtmike]

Bill,
I have the serial no. (26685) which according to Pierce places it in 1902. The (Aeolian) player action bears a date of 1908. It is information on that particular model/style that I am trying to determine: it seems too "modern" a case to date back that far, but it has clearly never been altered. (FYI this is a piano that used to belong to Bennett Meakin, who had some real gems!).

I also have a London Erard, 7'6",mostly bichords, around 1860-61. I'm curious as to a name stamped into the woodwork to the right of the wrest plank - "C. Martin". Any ideas?

[Bill Kibby]

C. Martin was a senior worker at the Erard London factory, whose name was imprinted in the wrestplanks usually, suggesting that he worked in that area, perhaps stringing. I would be interested to know the serial number for my records.

His name appears from the 1830s to the 1870s.

[sgtmike]

Bill,
Erard s/n is 8523.
Thanks for the info on C. Martin

[Bill Kibby]

Thanks, I'd say that was more like 1864, it should be dated on the left end of the action. If you ever find the year, I would appreciate the confirmation. The numbers page I mention before has Erard London numbers about two-thirds of the way down.

[sgtmike]

You are probably correct, Bill.
After I have given my son his piano lesson tonight, I'll take a look at the Erard action.
(Off topic,it seems that we may have trodden similar paths, and I would like to pm you on your pianohistory.info email.)

[sgtmike]

Update on Steck:

I have continued my trawling and come across the following quote from the Mechanical Music Digest of December 1998:

"American Stecks approach Gothas in the grandeur of their tone.
They perhaps don't have the subtlety, but they do have depth and
projection. They are, in this, true descendants of the pre-Aeolian
Steck of which I've also heard a few. Benet Meakin, the renowned
and almost obsessive collector who died two years ago, had
examples of all four kinds of Steck upright -- one of them was
even a huge 1901 pre-Aeolian retrofitted with an 88n player
action in 1908 !"

I'm absolutely certain that this is the piano I now have, although I am still curious to find out more about the "Style 306P" and the "Model 26"

[marigold]

Sorry this is back to Erard again!
Our Erard is numbered 15530 and has C. Martin (thought it was a "G") stamped next to the strings (Top A end); and, regrettably, the hammer for the bottom A has detached itself but now we know that it has W.E. Butlin stamped on it. So we think that it was made in London about 1845. It is a Plain Jane, Patent Erard London inlaid in brass, rosewood case, faceted legs, no music stand (anybody know why?) and is totally unrestored, out of tune, of course, but not horribly so.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Marigold

[Bill Kibby]

Sorry, it has been so long, I don't remember where Erard connected with Steck, but this would probably get more response if you did it as a new topic, headed Erard. The number suggests that it was made in the late 1870s, as you can see in the Erard entry about halfway down the page at
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html