Square Piano by Astor, G

Compass: FF-f3; 61 keys

Astor moved to 79 Cornhill in 1797

Stops: buff (leather); damper

Construction:

The case is made of mahogany, with mahogany and fruitwood stringing. Corners are mitered dovetails. The bottom is 38 mm thick. There is one molding around the bottom of the case. The rectangular tuning pins are unpierced and are arranged in 29 rows of four, and three rows of two, with letters indicating note names. The tuning pins run though a wooden plate, 95 mm wide, 4 mm thick, atop the soundboard, which is let inot the molding surrounding the soundboard. The front of this plate has a squared wooden rail with leather on the top, which dampens the tuning pin segment of the string. The front left section of the soundboard is cantilevered over the top three key levers. It is braced on teh left side by a hardwood beam which rests on and extends over a brace left of the keyboard which is at least 80 mm thick and has two holes bored through it, diameter 25 mm, to increase the sound volume. The soundboard grain runs left to right. The one-piece bridge is rectangular and cantilevered in the bass and has a broad chamfer in the treble on the right side. It is single pinned throughout. There is one rib on the right side of the bridge, running roughly parallel to it. Another rib runs somewhat perpendicular to the bridge through the lower treble section. The case sits on a trestle stand with four squared legs. Each leg has a metal medallion with an emblem of musical instruments and a music book