[CAUT] M&H "A" stability

[David Love]

Another thought is that you need to track whether it's the same strings
going out of tune or not and which direction the offenders are moving.  If
the pattern is truly random and the offending strings are moving both sharp
and flat then it seems that it must be an issue of friction through the
bearing points.   I don't recall exactly but I believe the pianos of that
vintage have quite severe counterbearing angles which can create real
problem in rendering the tuning.  If that's the case see if you can
determine in which section the problem are happening.  I would guess that it
would be the capo section.  If so, you might consider ways of reducing the
counterbearing angle (if possible), though that may be next to impossible
without a complete teardown.   If it is the same strings and the pattern is
that the strings are moving flat then I would consider the possibility that
the becket lengths are too short on the offending notes.   At any rate, you
need to get the piano out of storage and off its side so that you can try
and determine exactly what the pattern is and pursue some remedy.  

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim
Busby
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10:34 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] M&H "A" stability

 

All,

 

We have a 1992 Mason and Hamlin A that has had tuning stability problems for
at least the last 8 years (since I've been here). It has been assigned to
several solid tuners with the same outcome, so it's not that. It has been
restrung twice, and the last time I put in a new Nossaman pinblock and made
sure that it was installed properly, mated to the flange, horn wedge is in
place, yaddah, yaddah.

 

The last restringing was 2 years ago, and I still need to tune it about
every 3 weeks. The pitch doesn't go up and down, but individual notes just
seem to go wild. I can't say that it is the same notes all the time, I don't
think it is. All the normal prepping has been done, checked and rechecked.

 

Since it was fairly expensive to buy, and since it was a M&H I thought it
should be in a classroom where they do masterclasses. After fighting it for
nearly a year I put it in a practice room. Even worse results. Now it sits
on its side in storage.

 

Any thoughts here? I've been told that the tension resonator should not be
messed with, but could this be an issue? What am I missing here?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jim Busby RPT

BYU

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