v-bar/capo repair: Seiler pictures 1

[Barbara Richmond]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman@cox.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: v-bar/capo repair: Seiler pictures 1


>
> Seems to me you have two problems. Duplex length, and too hard hammers.
> Loose bridge pins will cause false beats, but not the sizzle you're
> describing, so that's probably not a problem. The Vise-Grip mass load
> might still be worth trying.
>

<snip>

Thanks, Ron.

Just after Thanksgiving, the owner wanted me to have a go at softening the
hammers.  Actually, I was able to soften them using my politically incorrect
hammer softener on the shoulders, which softened them enough to get my
voicing needles in.  I've never been happy with tone of the piano--I think
it's weenie and especially nasal in the tenor (geeze, it's an 8' piano!).
The
voicing helped (along with the usual crown needling I do on these)--the
sound opened up somewhat, but it didn't give me the spectacular results I
was looking/hoping for. The customer was pleased, though.

I noticed when I was there to take the pictures, that the lower treble had
gotten somewhat strident again, though not as bad as in the past.  When I
was a Kawai dealer tech, I always had good luck opening up those hammers and
didn't have much trouble keeping them under control.  But <these> hammers
are different, in spite of my efforts, they still have an amazing ability to
get obnoxious--guess it's in their genes.  I have some Ronsen Wurzen samples
ready to try out.

After I get this all sorted out and taken care of, I'm praying that the
popping string (while tuning) problem this piano had in the past, does not
return.  I was disappointed when I talked to the restringer and found out
that no rescaling had been done. <sigh>  If only I had been on the scene
before the piano got shipped off...

Barbara Richmond