This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Mark, I had a very strange experience when I followed the link to the Luxury = Piano website. (By the way, anyone following the link below should make = sure to turn the 'a' and the 'i' in "pianos" around, or you won't be = going anywhere). If you follow the link to the section the title = "references", the very first piano you will see there is an instrument = that lives 20 minutes from the university here. Lo and behold, = technician referred to is yours truly, and it is indeed a beautiful = restoration from a cosmetic point of view. The finish on the case, = plate, soundboard, etc. is sensational, and workmanship of assembly = (stringing, etc.) looks first rate. The testimonial there was obviously = written after it had only recently arrived and I had just seen it, but = there is more to the story. As time went by, the customer began = complaining about "heaviness" in the action, and indeed, the new Renner = action has a distinctly *not* Viennese touch, being unpleasantly = ponderous feeling. I've not weighed it, but it definitely has a problem. = There are also some problems with action fit relative to blow distance-- = the hammer line height at rest requires some interesting gymnastics to = get the action inserted in the cavity, likely due to the low pinblock = underside. After about a year the customer complained about "buzzing" = sounds in the first treble section, and indeed, there was an area of = about 3-4 notes that had developed a telltale soundboard rattle along = with a noticeable drop clarity and decay length. Inspection underneath = revealed rather poorly repaired rib problems, and several places where a = business card would be partially inserted between rib and board. I did = have to ease sluggish dampers as the testimonial says, but whether = failing glue joints can be attributed to the climate change (higher = general humidity, especially in the winter-- though nothing like what = one finds in other parts of the country), is not at all clear to me. = One thing I feel justified in saying: I don't think the soundboard was = thoroughly restored from a structural standpoint-- it actually looks to = me as though some stuff underneath that was perhaps in marginal = condition at the time of restoration was simply ignored. It just goes = to show that things aren't always what they appear.... Greg Greg Granoff RPT Humboldt State University ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Mark Cramer=20 To: CAUT=20 Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 8:47 AM Subject: FW: Bluthner rebuild To follow up with those of you who helped regarding my Bluthner action = questions; the owner of the 6'3" piano in question declined my original = offer, and for the moment, I haven't considered raising it. =20 Meanwhile a valued colleague sent me the following link (pasted below) = for curiousity. The rebuilder's site is www.luxurypainos.com Their work appears = exquisite, and I find their perspective on German pianos and = restoration, quite interesting. Fitting new actions/keyboards to vintage German pianos is part of what = they do, however, they also rebuild original actions with new parts. I = am looking forward to correspondance with them. FYI and thanks! Mark Cramer, Brandon University =20 Dear Mark,=20 I found this 1890s rebuilt Bl=FCthner offered for sale on eBay.: = http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D3705942995&ssPageNam= e=3DADME:B:SS:CA:1 Notice that a new Renner action has been installed, and it looks like = a brand new keyboard has been made as well. I=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/3d/c3/bb/be/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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