Steinway vertical

[Frank Cahill]

Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
> 
> Clyde Hollinger wrote:
> 
> > Dear list,
> >
> > A church, whose two pianos I have been servicing since 1986, was
> > recently recipient of a donated new Steinway vertical piano.  I have
> > several questions I hope someone can answer:
> >
> > 1.  Is this one of the difficult-to-tune 1098s?  It measures about 46
> > 1/4" high and has the number 45 cast in the plate.
> 
> Yes.
> 
> > 2.  If so, would you recommend I service the piano (I'm not hurting for
> > work), or should I let the Steinway dealer's people wrestle with it?
> 
> Only you can answer that question. They are difficult to tune. Not impossible. I worked
> pretty closely with them for several years and learned to wrestle them into submission
> without too much stress.
> 
> > 3.  It was signed by Henry Steinway on the top surface inside the lid.
> > Does that have any specific meaning or does it increase the value of the
> > piano?
> 
> That and about $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee at a good coffee shop. While on
> marketing and promotional trips the Steinway's would often sign whatever pianos a dealer
> would have on the floor.
> 
> > 4.  When facing the front of the piano, the soundboard appears to have a
> > deliberately made saw kerf about 7 or 8" long in the lower right corner,
> > parallel with the woodgrain.  What is its purpose?  I never noticed
> > anything like this before.
> >
> > Thank you.
> > Clyde Hollinger, RPT
> > Lititz, PA
> 
> If memory serves, that cut is not actually in the soundboard. It is in the solid maple
> cutoff block. It is there to take up wood expansion and contraction due to humidity
> changes.
> 
> -- ddf


I tune a Steinway upright ever six months, and it's a tough job.  Does
anybody have any ideas why these pianos present such a challenge?  
Forget the tight tuning pins, I can handle that. It seems that the
strings have excessive friction at the various contact points.  Lubing
strings at v-bar with liquid wrench made very little difference.

Someone suggested that I flagpole the pins up/down to try to get the
strings settled.  Can't say as I find it any easier.

This piano always takes me an unreasonable time to tune, so much so that
I'd be embarassed to reveal the time in this post. But the customer
tunes every six months and both she and her husband are VERY nice to me.
So for now, I keep them in my database.  

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Frank Cahill
Assoc Member
Nothern VA.