Ted - First of all, WRT the DC rods, the more wattage the better as a rule. I say this because the 5-part system comes with one rod. You have to choose if you want a 35W rod or a 50W rod instead of the stock 25W rod. Beyond that, I usually find that I install multiple rods with an average wattage of 75-100W. I don't know what humidity variations are where you live, but that is typical for Tucson. It may well be different for you. More important would be: Is the(are the) rod{s} controlled by a humidistat? They better be! And is there a humidifier with the system? If the rebuilder is picking on the DC system, it sounds like grasping at straws. But it is worthwhile to make sure that the system is correctly installed. I would also take the usual steps: making sure the plate is seated on the nosebolts, tightness of plate screws, fit of pinblock to flange(which you already plan to check},and plate cracks. There have been some excellent discussions on the list lately about plate cracks. You also indicate 8 tunings to date since the rebuild. What has been the spacing of these tunings(over what time period)? How many of those tunings were done before the delivery of the piano? These are all factors that may help you solve the problem. If you are going to compare this rebuild to others by the same company, try to figure out what factors may be different between this one and the others you are familiar with. Bob Anderson Tucson,AZ
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