Thank you for your take, D.L.  To be honest, for some reason I have
always ended up with basket case pianos.  But I would never dismantle a
good piano just to avoid restringing etc.

This all started when I searched for a identical Foster that I learned
to play on.  It burned in the house fire on Feb. 22 1975.  It is too bad
that _this one_ one didn't burn instead of the first one.  If I could
go back in time somehow and switch them, I would.  The first piano has
been well cared for all it's life and it showed.

As far as I can tell, this model of Foster is rare: there were only 500
built in 1913, and it is impossible to tell how many were that model.
And how many survive today is probably just a handful.  Frankly, Foster
wasn't exactly the best example of piano construction, even in their
day.  The later the year, the worse the craftsmanship became.  They
were just a "get em out the door and sell them" piano.  You didn't see
the wealthy or the musically inclined beating down their door to buy
them.

In Kentucky, according to some elderly folks whom I got one from, they
were peddled from door to door.  All the old woman could tell me (this
was around 1978) that the man "had it on the back of a model T Ford"
(sounds like a Atwood loader).  Her father got it for about $350 after
some haggling on the price.

Sometimes, to replace something sentimental, people go to extremes.
All the piano stores in Rochester and Buffalo have been on the lookout
for this piano for me for the past 20 years.  So I did find one after
23 years.  Under regular circumstances I would have never considered
this unit.  But it was the right model.  So will I put it together
exactly original?  NO!  I will tell you why.

I don't know what the men were smoking when they strung these things,
but it wasn't tobacco!  I have gauged several Foster scales and each
one was different.  They were carelessly strung -- they just seemed to
use a "whatever" approach.

The flange wasn't fitted to the pinblock at all, they just tacked
a furring strip to the bottom of the pinblock to meet the flange.
I pried off the strip and tested the fit to the plate -- not even
remotely close!  That explains the horrible tuning problems I had
with this piano.  The pinblock was pieced together scrap maple made
from 18 separate pieces!

Instead of slamming Foster & Co. and decrying how cheap they are, I just
opted to do something about it, reconstructing the piano like it should
have been done to began with, and doing my best to raise it's quality.
I don't claim to know more than the factory.  They also built the Mason
& Hamlin which is one of the best around.

But I am dealing with the next to the cheapest line, and we are
determined to make a musical masterpiece out of this unit, since it is
sentimental and will be kept.  I will no doubt learn many lessons about
piano construction, and will be very proud of the finished work.  I can
hear the piano people laughing as I write this, thinking that I have
lost my mind, thinking the effort is not worth the time and money.

As soon as I get some film developed I will post some pictures on our
web site of our efforts.

Best Regards
Andy & Chris Taylor
Tempola Music Rolls
http://home.swbell.net/tempola/index.htm

 [ No laughing here, Andy and Chris, just lots of encouragement.  You
 [ are training yourself, and asking advice from experienced techs.
 [ I admire your tenacity!  -- Robbie