Eavestaff MiniPiano Pianette

James · Post by **James** » 17 Feb 2004, 23:52

Hello all

I have an Eavestaff Minipiano that's been in the family for the last 30 years and was wondering if you could help me out with some info on it.
I have made a quick webpage with some pictures of it HERE The flash-photography certainly highlights any damage to the body of the piano....
I've done a search and found the post before with some handy info on it and I understand that it's overstrung and underdampered, but I have a couple of basic newbie questions to ask if I may?

Which bit exactly is the soundboard?
Is there someone here who could help me date it if I can find the serial number?
The man who used to tune it said it kept slipping, so he tuned it down a couple of semitones and injected some resin into the pegboard (probably not the right term I know) to try and swell it slightly so it held the pegs better. Is this normal practice for a piano of this age?
You can pretty much gauge the overall condition of the exterior from the pictures and it clearly needs some external tidying, would anyone like to hazard a guess at what it's currently worth?
thanks in advance,
James

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 18 Feb 2004, 01:49

I can't access your pictures to see them clearly, can you email them to me? The soundboard in this typ of mini is the front of the piano, below keyboard. The number might be on the reverse side, and there should also be one inside the tuning flap under the keys.

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 18 Feb 2004, 09:05

Yours is the first model with the pins under the keybed the serial number is there and is shown in your flash move however, the number is not showing up well

As to your other question the soundbord is the large board behind the action you can see the action in your move as you took off the back panel

Barrie,

James · Post by **James** » 18 Feb 2004, 10:00

cheers guys

I'll try and get some clearer pics of the serial number this evening.
The injecting of resin.... is that a standard procedure for treating old wood not designed for central heating or just a bodge for keeping it going for another year or so?
Would you expect a piano of this age range to still be useable on a day to day basis?
thanks again,
James

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 18 Feb 2004, 10:10

In this, the original minipiano design, the tuning pins are under the keyboard, and pass right through to the strings, which are on the back. Most of these are now, because of age or central heating, quite difficult to hold in tune. Although it is possible to make replacement pins, they are hard to come by, and the only other option when they become loose is to treat the wood with one of several liquids which tighten the wood around the pins. My exhaustive torque testing, carried out 1974-1990 in connection with central heating damage, showed that the treatments were not usually very effective, but they cost very little, by comparision with a complete repinning job.

James · Post by **James** » 18 Feb 2004, 22:37

The serial number on the pinboard is 8704
Does this match up with a specific date?
Is there anything I should be specifically concious of with a piano of this age?
thanks again
James

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 18 Feb 2004, 23:04

It suggests 1942. The questions about condition should be asked to your tuner, who can be there on the spot to examine it. For more on the numbers, pess www below, then press the "Numbers" button.

James · Post by **James** » 18 Feb 2004, 23:28

thanks

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 23 Feb 2004, 09:28

Hi! I am trying to make some correlation between the two sets of numbers. If you ever have the opportunity to unscrew the back panel, could you tell me what number is inside, on the soundboard? In this model, the soundboard is the lower front of the piano.