This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi all, I just wanted to thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me this = past year. I've enjoyed learning so much about pianos and look forward = to learning much more. I was very pleased with myself this week, as I applied much of what I = learned to servicing my little Hamilton studio. This was its first = tuning/servicing since Isabel hit. The poor instrument rode out the = entire hurricane in a cargo trailor parked on high ground, with trees = crashing to the ground all around it. Miraculously it was spared, and = it didn't have to endure the humidity any longer than a couple of days. = When we got it back in the house (which was also miraculously spared), = the pitch stabilized to about 20 cents flat, and the let-off was out of = whack on a few notes. I finally had the time yesterday to open the = instrument up and work on it. I started with tuning, of course. I'm proud to have done what I = consider to be my first really good tuning. It sounds sweet and = vibrant, with just the right amount of stretch. Wow!! Next I did = voicing. I had never, never been satisfied with the voicing on the = piano, whether I had done it or whether I had hired a tech. The sound = had always been extremely harsh. The only time I remember it not being = harsh, it was lifeless -- when a tech mashed the hammers liberally with = pliers. Still they quickly hardened back up to the consistency of tool = steel. This week I tried steam voicing (with a clothing steamer) and = was very impressed with the results. I need to work on the low treble a = bit more, but I'm definitely on the right track. The bass benefitted = the most. It's now very nice and full, yet well defined. The sound is = now rather sweet -- nothing I would have expected from this instrument. = I was very proud when my stepson played my piano this Christmas. He = probably didn't notice it sounded good. His sister probably didn't = notice or appreciate either. But I was very proud of my work. Thanks, = everyone! By the way, when I get a chance, I'm going to post some pics of a = next-door neighbor's piano. It would seem to be a rather rare model -- = not the nicest piano in the world (understatement), but definitely novel = -- and really very cute. It's a Wurlitzer "butterfly" baby grand. I'd = call it a micro-grand -- looks almost like a child's toy. I would guess = from a glance (all I got) that it's about an octave short of a full = keyboard. Circa 1940's? The keytops of this fine instrument are = plastic and quite crackled. The soundboard is amazingly intact, = considering that it sat in a flooded house -- elevated inches above the = water, fortunately. I think y'all would enjoy seeing it, and I know the = owner would enjoy finding out more about her piano. Anyway, thanks again, all of you, for sharing your knowledge with me! = And thank you for the satisfaction I felt yesterday and today when my = little Hamilton sounded better than I ever remember it having sounded! = That means a lot to me, since it is the piano I learned on almost 35 = years ago. Peace, Sarah ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/c3/bb/86/de/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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