Pleyel Grand with warped front rail.

[Robin Olson]

       I recently worked on a roughly 100 year old Pleyel grand in of 
all places,(where else but)the French Ambassador's residence here in 
Washington DC.Somewhere along the line it has been restrung and and 
partially rebuilt.The problem is that the front rail only contacts the 
key bed on the ends.In the middle it is bounceing up and down causeing 
power loss and letoff and after touch proplems unless you play pretty 
hard.There are no adjustable glide bolts either on the key frame or 
the bed.Sanding the front rail seems like a long and possibly futile 
method.I seem to recall a method of cutting a saw curf in the front 
rail to help lower the rise in the middle.Is this done from the top of 
the rail,or bottom,or both.Do you shim and glue or just leave an open 
slit in the front rail.I look forward to the lists opinions and 
experience in this.                       Thanks Robin Olson RPT