I have a Steinway M that has had a cracked plate for more than twenty years and has had no problems with tuning stability. The crack is in the topmost strut nearest the rim at the treble end. I have heard rumors that there were other Steinways built in the '60s that had the same problem. Evidently the pinblock was not fit well such that the plate was actually compressed/stressed at that strut. The stress finally had to be relieved, hence the crack. The piano has been moved twice, and tuned regularly and the crack has gradually gotten a bit worse, but still hasn't caused a problem. The piano is getting to the point where major action work is going to have to be done. I've been thinking about selling the piano for what I could get, but I know I couldn't get much. So I wondered if it would be possible to install a new plate. I called Steinway to see if I could buy a finished plate. Steinway, I was told by Gloria, doesn't sell plates. Does anyone know if Kelley (or is it Wickham) sells plates that are ready to install. Is this a project I should consider? Given the price of new Steinways, I can't help but think my M could be salvaged and save the price of a new one. I will probably contract the work with a rebuilder that has more skill in this area than I do, but I'm still not sure it's worth doing. Richard West University of Nebraska
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