I think I might have said "A place like this deserves a new grand piano" or something like that. David I. ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: gordon stelter <lclgcnp@yahoo.com> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 05:31:10 -0800 (PST) Subject: How do we tell customers that the work done on their pianos stinks? >The BEST part in a situation like this is telling the >customer that the former "technician" did useless and >crappy work. USUALLY the customer gets mad at YOU >instead of them! ( And doesn't believe you, i.e. "That >nice old man, xxxxx, worked on MY piano!" ( Smiling, >with beaming eyes. ) > Does anyone here have suggestions on how to >handle telling a customer that the work they just paid >for is absolutely worthless garbage ? > Thump >P.S. I played a small private reception for a >celebrity you'd all recognize last night, in a big >mansion.......... on a Wurlitzer console. The owner >came up to me, beaming, "How do you like it ?" I >rejected the first 10 answers that came to mind, bit >my lip and politely said "It's OK ". ( I'm not good at >lying ) "When was it tuned ?" " Sometime in the last >year!" he beamed again. > Sheesh! >--- Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote: >> Of course! But it's ok because the originals are >> those really nice ones with the knuckle integrated >> into the shank! >> >> I'm sure you all have seen this kind of crap >> workmanship before, but last night I thought I would >> turn my attention to the backchecks and putting a >> radius on the hammer tails. The guy also put new >> backchecks on. Every one at a unique height. Many >> pushing up adjacent hammers upon key stroke. The >> hammer tails hit the backcheck at about a 45 degree >> angle (tails don't check, they clunk!). Then I try >> to gang sand the tails for a radius. Tails are >> angled every which way. In, out, rotated. >> >> If you took all the loose parts, thew them in a box >> and shook it up and then looked inside, you would >> have something that looks pretty close to this >> action. I am exaggerating only slightly. >> >> Arrrrggggg! It would have been less work to try and >> make the original parts function, rather than trying >> to make this hodge-podge of parts function. :-( >> >> Ain't there a law????? >> >> Terry Farrell >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Avery Todd >> To: Pianotech >> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 5:47 PM >> Subject: Re: Front Rail Punching Interference >> >> >> Just wondering, but did "they" also install those >> new hammers on old shanks/knuckles? :-) >> >> Avery >> >> At 03:56 PM 11/13/04, you wrote: >> >> I think I found part of the problem already. The >> tooner before me "rebuilt the piano" - you know, the >> full monty - new strings, hammers, damper felts (yes >> indeed, hanging way out past the damper heads) and >> keytops - none of which were installed >> straight/aligned, etc. I imagine this thing had >> ivory keytops originally. The new keytops are thick >> plastic (~2mm), and yup, you guessed it, he didn't >> plane the keytops down to compensate for the thicker >> keytops - so now I have keys that are one or two >> millimeters thicker than original..... >> >> Oh well, back to the drawing board ........ er, >> a, regulating table...... >> >> Terry Farrell >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: antares >> >> To: Pianotech >> >> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 4:04 PM >> >> Subject: Re: Front Rail Punching Interference >> >> >> Terry, >> >> >> First of all, you need to know the exact key >> height of your key board. >> >> This is the key to your regulation. >> >> For instance.... the key height for Steinway >> model S-B (measured from the key bed to the >> underside of the key top covering) is 63 mm. >> >> For Yamaha's this 64 mm. >> >> It is the only way to get your basis straight. >> >> After that, we're talking. >> >> >> André Oorebeek >> >> >> On 13-nov-04, at 20:47, Farrell wrote: >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param >> Arial><?smaller>Help!<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>I'm >> trying to regulate a Baldwin "Monarch" microgrand >> action. I haven't looked up the piano's age (can't >> find my Pierce Atlas), but it is from the first half >> of the 20th Century. I've run into this before. I >> level keys (1/2" sharp height), regulate blow, >> let-off, etc., and then go to set aftertouch. When I >> have the proper aftertouch on the sharps, the >> adjacent naturals hit the sharp front rail punching >> before they hit their own front rail punching when >> depressing the natural.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>That's >> bad.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>What >> gives? Have I done something stupid? Have I simply >> overlooked something?<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Another >> thing - I have to reduce blow to 1-3/4 inches to >> provide sufficient key travel (about 3/8 inches - >> way less than spec) to allow let-off and a tad of >> aftertouch. I replaced the back rail felt with >> original thickness (which is the thinnest sold by >> the supply houses), I am using the thinnest front >> rail punchings available, and I even have key height >> a little bit higher than they were (and above spec - >> more than 2-1/2 inches - I'm quite sure I'm still OK >> with the fallboard).<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Again, >> what gives? Action clearly appears all >> original.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>This is >> all a lot easier when you rebuild the action, go >> through the Stanwood and geometry stuff, and have it >> all correct from the get-go! Because, as in this >> case, it can't be me, it's gotta be the action! >> Right? ;-)<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Thanks >> for anything anyone has to >> offer.<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> >> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller>Terry >> Farrell<?/smaller><?/fontfamily> >> >> >> friendly greetings >> >> from >> >> André Oorebeek >> >> >> "where Music is, no harm can be" >> > >__________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. >www.yahoo.com > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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