[CAUT] CAF

[Susan Kline]

>In the "D" I mentioned earlier... the tech had also taken out a fair 
>share of jack centers and replaced them with looser ones. Upon given 
>the job to fix the problem, it appeared that this had just 
>exasperated whatever rep problems there were to begin with... as it 
>looked like a last ditch attempt to solve the problem.


<grin> This reminds me of a D I was given to diagnose (on very short notice,
before a guest lecturer was going to use it.) It was apparent that a tech had
had trouble getting notes to check (backchecks were pretty low and hammers
were very, VERY free), and decided that weakening the rep springs 
would fix it all.
Never underestimate the problems a desperate technician can cause ...

Another classic "desperate technician" experience: an 1880's George Steck
grand (fun thing) would barely damp in the bass, and it was apparent someone
had replaced all the original bass damper felt, but only had treble flat felt
to do it with. No wedges, no monochord felt with the notch cut into it.

Upon taking out the first bass damper (threaded damper wires, it all took
awhile), I burst out laughing. Two _long_ sections of flat felt fore and aft,
AND IN THE MIDDLE was another piece of flat felt, leaving just a tiny
crack between the three pieces. ("Surely if I just put on MORE FELT,
the darned thing will start to damp!") Imagine all the work to put on
the third piece throughout the bass, with the threaded damper wires, and
then the darned things worked even worse!

Nice short pieces of bichord and monochord felt, nice long spaces in
between --- absolutely perfect damping. (the power of the wedge!)

Susan Kline