Wurlitzer Full Metal Pinblock

[Tom Myler]

In the early 70's, a technician I was working for brought one of these
grands in for restringing.  He was amazed to discover the metal
pinblock/split wedge pins you describe.  Told me he'd been tuning the piano
for years and had never noticed anything unusual in terms of feel or tuning
stability.   It was a hideous (white faux-antique finish) Apollo "grand".

----------
> From: Ken Hale <kenhale@dcalcoda.com>
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Wurlitzer Full Metal Pinblock
> Date: Thursday, September 12, 1996 4:32 PM
>
> Hi,
>
> The piano looked just like any other rather boring Wurlitzer Baby
> Grand.
>
> Until I started tuning it. The Tuning Pins were so tight that I began
> to hurt my arm and shoulder. I decided that this piano was not going
> to get a very good tuning.
>
> After the tuning, I discussed the piano a bit with the lady of the
> house and told her that the tightness really prevented a very
> accurate tuning. I also told her that I was a little puzzled why an
> old piano would have such tight tuning pins.
>
> I left and the husband, who was working in the yard, asked me how it
> went. I told him about the Pinblock. He said that he was told it was
> a metal pinblock.
>
> Of course, I replied, that the plate is metal but the pinblock is wood.
> They had just bought the piano and the piano mover was also the
> person who had maintained the piano. The piano person told him the
> pinblock was metal and would hold tune better.
>
> So, I went back in, because I was curious, removed the fallboard and
> sure enough, the pinblock was metal. The tuning pins were sticking
> out underneath and were split. A long wedge was driven into this
> split, kind of like an axe handle wedge, and was about .5" long.
> Looking back at the tuning pin area, I saw that there were no screws
> going through the plate. Hmmm, interesting.
>
> It is a Wurlitzer baby grand, # 110716 (I think, pencil numbers on
> the front of keyframe) and has 6 legs. Should stand up better, also.
>
> Anybody know about these?
>
> Ken Hale, RPT
>
>
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