This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hello Dean and List I have the same sort of problem here in the UK. School pianos - state = schools, that is - as opposed to private schools. They bought a whole = load of Danemann uprights in the 1960s. This was a UK maker and like = most, if not all UK makers, has gone to the wall. The Danemann is/was a = good piano - but...two versions of this upright were available. The = strings on the cheaper one the schools all went for were... how shall I = put it?... looked as though they were made of hedge wire. Horrid stuff. = The top notes were always breaking so I gradually replaced them with = Roslau. The state school can't afford major work on pianos anyway. They = can't afford much atall in the musical side of education. Something = wrong there! I have one state senior school (ages 11 - 17) where they = have about 8 pianos. Two are grands (S&S and Bechstein) both are clapped = out. One of the uprights has all its ivories missing... another the = hammers all wobble erratically (erotically?) to the strings in = hap-hazzard fashion (the flange bushings are shot). The two Danemanns in = the main teaching classrooms both have examples of my emergency repairs, = string replacements and reglued sharps etc. BUT you wait till you come across that worst of bad British uprights... = the 1930s Eavestaff Mini Royale strung with the bichords throughout, the = double ended wrest pins which emerge behind a long flap mounted = horizontally under the key bed. Pull the piano away-from-the-wall to get = the back off to reveal the strings, backwards (mirror image) frame and = action....The top hammer is where you'd expect the bottom hammer to be - = but wait! You're looking at the back of the beast! You have to wangle a = Papps wedge in there between the pull-up wires then dash round to the = front of the beast to hit the right note and wiggle the tuning = lever...(if you can work out which wrest pin is the right one!) I must = find one and post a piccy to the list. It's in..cred..ible..You won't = believe it!! TTFN Michael G.(UK) ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Dean May=20 To: 'Pianotech'=20 Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 6:51 PM Subject: RE: Schafer and Sons Upright I have similar experience from a similar era Schaffer upright (I am = reasonably sure it is a Samick piano). This piano is in a high school = choral room. I put on a new set of strings and the problem went away. I = am convinced the original strings were an inferior grade of wire that = had simply work hardened after ten years of playing so they started = breaking.=20 =20 Explain it to the customer in those terms: It was an inexpensive piano = to start with, they cut corners on cost wherever they could. Bass wire = on these grades of pianos often starts breaking after 10-15 years of = playing. New strings will not only solve the breaking problem, but they = will sound better than the cheap originals (especially a nice set of = Arledge!). =20 Blessings, =20 Dean Dean May cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN 47802 =20 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On = Behalf Of noj Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 2:56 PM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: Schafer and Sons Upright =20 Thanks for the replies. The piano in question was built (according to = Pierce) by Vern Schafer in Ca. The let-off in the bass is about 1/8". = The hammers are not worn - I regulated this piano about 2-3 years ago- A = teen-age girl is the current pianist- although her brother used to = POUND the thing! Maybe that's why there is trouble now. It is a model = US 45- serial # 513185.=20 Thanks again. Jon ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/60/99/8c/27/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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