--On Thursday, April 15, 2004 4:23 PM -0500 Mark Cramer <Cramer@BrandonU.CA> wrote: > Please pardon the abscence of optimism, but I find servicing the 743's, > beyond tuning, tends to underwhelm even the most meager expectations. > I have a stable that includes some 30 243's from the mid 60's, and, yes, I am happy that I can see the day that they will all be replaced (four gone this year). But I also want to present a different view. Unlike Mark, I have been pleasantly surprised at how much of an improvement can be made. Understand that these have been sorely neglected over the years, with very minimal maintenance - I think mostly limited to "raise the capstans, tighten the screws, tune occasionally," and, during my early tenure, re-glue the loose hammer heads and re-pin the flopping flanges. Not a hammer had seen a file, for instance, and keybushings - well, wood was slapping wood (IOW keys hitting their neighbors). I have now taken eight or ten of these, and re-bushed the keys, filed the hammers, replaced wipp cushion felt, replaced front rail felt, lubed the damper lift rail and spoons with Protek, spaced/squared/travelled hammers (in reverse order), regulated, and steam voiced - with a little needle touch up. A solid 8 hours per piano, sometimes more. And the result has been really quite remarkable. Very serviceable, functional, adequate instruments after that work is done. I'm glad to be replacing them, but my opinion of their potential has risen tremendously. As for the initial question about twisting bass strings, I'm afraid I don't have an opinion based on experience. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico
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