[Alan Brinton]

I wouldn’t say I had to break the instrument apart, Daren. I had to break the seal between the underside of the top of the metal cabinet and the top of the backboard. There’s a strip, something between a gasket and a thin hard laminate, that runs across the top of the backboard and was sealed to it and to the bare metal of the cabinet. This had to be broken. Possibly it originally was not actually glued to both of those surfaces and then the instrument could have been taken apart without damaging this strip, but it kind of looks like it was made that way. Possibly it is replaceable with, say, a strip of accordion gasket.

Luckily I still had a Clavietta apart and am able to make a comparison. The reeds of the Silvertone and the Clavietta are about the same in size. The individual reed plates are almost identical. It’s hard not to see a family relationship here.

http://lucy421.smugmug.com/Other/Silvertone-34/47098611_7tSWZQ#!i=3839785865&k=dfLSLWc&lb=1&s=A
http://lucy421.smugmug.com/Other/Silvertone-34/47098611_7tSWZQ#!i=3839786019&k=ppTs6jn&lb=1&s=A

It sure would be interesting to get a Silvertone working and see how it sounds in comparison with the Clavietta. The key action of the Silvertone is much more definite, firmer, more springy with a long pull.

I should mention about this particular Silvertone that before I took it apart some notes played and others didn’t. So there must be some issue in addition to the over-all seal. The keys all seem to be in working order. The tops of some of the black keys are rough. It looks like they may have been set against a hot surface. Again, If someone with appropriate skills/resources wants to try to restore this Silvertone to playability, I will donate it for that purpose.