Update on Heavy Steinway M

[Avery Todd]

List,
   Back around the middle of July I posted a message I received from a former
piano list memeber about the problems he was having with his Steinway M.
   Several of you responded so I thought I would post this update.
   Below is a message he just sent to me. It seems he may be able to get
most, if not all, of his problems solved by having a competent technician
redo the work that had been done on it. Unfortunately, at additional cost
to him. But
he doesn't seem to mind too much, as long as he gets a good instrument back.

Avery

>
>My M went in for its rework about 10 days ago.  The guy who did the rebuild
>should be shot.  While he had the keys out, he apparently spilled something
>like CocaCola on the felt in the upper register.  This felt was as hard as
>a rock.  He also spilled lacquer on the damper bushings.  He spilled
>something else on the dampers themselves, tried to get it off with a
>solvent, then used steel wool, then slapped a coat of black paint on them.
>No wonder they looked dull.
>
>This piano received the "cosmetic treatment," or if it were a car, an
>interior detailing and an Earl Scheib paint job (I'll paint any car for
>$99.99).  The hammers and shanks you could see, so they were replaced.  The
>key surfaces you could see, so these were replaced.  The piano was
>refinished.  The damper felts you could see so these were replaced -- with
>the wrong stuff, but replaced.  I think they thought it would be a piece of
>furniture in someone's house.  Fred appropriately called it a rattle-trap.
>
>So Fred replaced the wippens with Renner wippens, replaced all the key
>bushings, and felt in the keybed.  This alone got the bench downweight from
>67 to 52 grams.  The "stop" at the knuckle now feels smooth like new.  He
>hasn't touched the hammers or done any reweighting of the keys yet.
>The dampers will all have to be reworked, and the pedal springs replaced.
>It is very possible that I could have a very nice piano after all this.
>
>I wish he'd saved the old parts.  I was tempted to take the box to the
>store in (deleted) to show them the (expletive deleted) job this technician
>did -- I think he works for the store.