Another thought on the piano not holding is this. The pins may be inconsistent, but if the change in pitch is severe (75-100 cents in one area) you might want to check for a broken plate. It doesn't happen very often and according to one manufacturer's rep I dealt with the plate should bear up to five times the load of the strings. Even so I discovered in a similar situation that the plate flange had in fact cracked somewhere in the center of the piano. It was not easy to locate and the supplier wanted pictures and for three or four additional people to confirm it. They obviously don't like to have to make good on a piano with major structural damage. The point is that all plate cracks are not easily visible and one should carefully analyze the reasons for tuning instability. Paul McMillin, RPT Carlisle, PA
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