Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Chickering vertical piano international pitch 435 or 440

I recently acquired a chickering vertical piano. The sound board is still amazingly sounds good though most of the string acquired some rust already. Dimension 54" hieght 60" width depth (keys to the back of the cabinet) 26. Should i use the labeled intl pitch 435 or can i adjust it to 440. TIA

Tune to A-440 with confidence if you wish to hear your music at standard pitch. Components like plates and beams are overbuilt -- especially in a piano that was originally one of the highest quality instruments you could buy. Many considered Chickering better than Steinway in that era.

Just understand that plates don't break from minor increases in load -- they break from defects present at the time of casting or from serious physical abuse.

+1

Just to check, I looked at a spreadsheet I had for a similar piano to see what the difference in tension was between 440 and 435. The increase is about 3-4%, which should be well within tolerances.

thanks kpembrook. it is sure a relief to know that i can tune it to 440... i just hope it wont break the original string. BTW with the decades this piano has endured, i saw rusting and worn out action cloth. i am planning to remove the action cloth will it affect the sound of my piano? and also have you heard about the solution called rust converter.. is it safe to use for the string to prevent rusting? Im in the philippines btw and it is quite humid here. Thanks again.

Tuning to A-440 will not break strings. However, old strings might break.

As you approach your piano, you need to realize that ALL of the replaceable components have exceeded their expected useful life. That doesn't mean that they aren't functional or won't continue to function for a while. It's just that you should not expect the same number of years of use as the first owner. Whatever you get is a gift.

thanks again.... about the rust converter solution and removing the action cloth, any suggestion about it... action cloth is located in between the metal frame and string i want to remove them coz they are already worn out and the metal frame is rusted which im planning to treat with a rust converter.... i dont want to try them with the strings ATM coz theres no proof it will not affect the strings at all... BTW your information is very helpfull

What is the serial number of your piano? Can you post some photos here? It's always interesting to see the different styles of cases, plus the insides.

Here are the pictures i uploaded.
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/266/zy3a.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/825/njlk.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/841/anqa.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/809/jv3y.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/191/kw9a.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/580/8wsc.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/405/1jw.JPG
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/607/rh5p.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/16/kaj7.jpg
https://imageshack.com/scaled/large/17/zov2.jpg

large 17 has number embossed 1900
large 607 has number stamped on the wood 510
large 191 serial 124835
is my piano made in May of 1910? actually i dont have any idea of its age.
Sorry for the very bad state of my piano, with lots of dust and grime. I just started with the cleaning and restoration recently and im doing it in my free time.
Can anybody tell me if i made a good find and whats its worth...
Thanks

Serial number 124835 dates to approximately 1915.

Chickerings can be decent instruments, especially the larger late model grands. An upright of this nature isn't really worth much, especially in original condition. It most certainly needs a full rebuilding, and even then you may have to pay someone to take it off your hands. Not much enduring value in plain old uprights which people give away on Craigslist I'm afraid.

With that said, a great deal of work and expense could make this Chickering an adequate instrument for in home enjoyment.

Just depends on the area you live in as to what the pianos future will be. Personally I cannot get enough big old uprights to keep the masses in my area happy because that is what they want. When they are in tune and working great they sound fantastic but if they are abused, out of tune or abandoned then no one wants them. There are lots of opinions out there on what to restore and what to take to the dump.

Last year someone came in with a piano teacher. The teacher picked out a newer Baldwin 243 while the buyers picked out a 1906 Chickering cabinet grand. Now that same teacher teaches piano for the neighborhood students on that big Chickering so the proof is in the pudding if you spend some extra time to get the old pianos back on track.

Thanks... Cheers!

That's encouraging. Certainly a good old upright, as I have mentioned, can turn in to something respectable. I cut my tech teeth working on things like that. One with a decent action that can be rebuilt and put in excellent condition inside and out can be as marvelous as a 6'-7 grand. One does have to be choosy however, and the market here with clunky junky uprights seems to be a little saturated.

I think, may it be vertical or grand, a piano once taken good care and recieved proper maintenance will be always appreciated with its looks and sound quality. 😊👍