Misbehaving Monkey

FRED W TREMPER f.trempe@morehead-st.edu
Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:21:07 -0400 (EDT)


Dear Friends:

An interesting problem has risen, one I have never seen before.  Perhaps 
you can offer a solution.  I know what the problem is, but I do not know 
how to solve it.  Let me explain:

While tuning a Steinway model D for a concert, I notice that occasionally 
if not frequently one of the notes, in this case C5, would remain off the 
string.  By pulling the action forward as far as possible the note would 
not stick, but sooner or later the problem would reoccur.  I realized 
that the sostinuto tabs on the dampers were too far forward and were 
catching on the sostinuto rail.  But why?  I found that the flange on the 
sostinuto rail was in the upward position (that is, about 9 o'clock when 
viewed from the bass end).

I looked around and found that the spring that holds down the sostinuto 
monkey had slipped out.  The flange on the sostinuto rod then worked its 
way to about the 9 o'clock position which then caused C5 (and sometimes 
other notes) to hang up on the flange.

So much for the problem and the solution.  My question is, Why does the 
spring slip out?  What can be done to keep it from slipping out?  As you 
know, the spring should not slip out whether or not the sostinuto pedal 
is engaged.

What to do?
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Fred W. Tremper, RPT
Morehead State University
Morehead, KY 40351
f.trempe@morehead-st.edu
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