Bridle Straps/time

[Farrell]

Not to fear Steve - you seem to be in the same boat as me and many others. I've also read and heard all the speed claims. I have no doubt some, perhaps many, are true and the techs do good work and offer good value. I'm not sure that is always the case though. 

However, rather that beating a dead horse, IMHO, we just need to accept that some folks are bionic!  ;-)

I figure that as long as you do good work, try to work efficiently and your services are in demand, y'all ain't gots nothing to worry about.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  I would like to add a few comments on the recent thread about bridle straps.

  First Matthew bravely admits it took him 6 hours for his first bridle strap replacement job. He confesses to some frustration and asks for advice. I remember the first time I tried the same procedure on and old upright. I can't remember how long it took me but I'm quite sure it took me more than 1.5 hours. Much of the advice was very informative and included both method and type of bridle straps that work the best. That's what I like the best about the list and the PTG in general. The idea that we all help each other.

  Now for my pet peeve...time. Tom Sivak describes his methods and claims to have finished the procedure in 45 minutes.

  Question? Does this include the removal of the old straps? 

  I did a little math, 88 notes divided by 45 minutes and came up with 30 seconds per note. Wow that's moving right along. If first you remove the old straps, then clean up a bit, (those old straps crumble and fall all over the action).  You then replace the straps with cork type you may or may not use a spot of glue. Don't forget you must determine the right size of cork to use. Then after inserting all 88 corks you must go back and slide the strap onto the bridle wire. By the way I will add my little bit of advise. I use a drop of protek on the wire and they slide on much easier. Usually you are working with and old upright and the tends to be corrosion on the wire.

  I'm sorry Tom I'm not trying to pick on you personalty so I ask in reality is this the case? Are you stating that you can complete the job from start to finish in 45 minutes? 

  This is just the latest thread among the many that I sometimes read with amazement. Recent threads that include a tuning and cleaning in 1.25 hours, removing keys cleaning/ lubrication of key pins as part of a regular service visit. Then there was the one about the damper lever leads coming loose on a Steinway. I don't know about anyone else but by the time I remove the fall board, action, remove one damper under lever swedge  the lead and put it back in that's thirty minutes in my book.  Someone on the list once claimed to do both the keys and dampers in less than an hour. My favorite is the 20 minute pitch raise. If you do the math depending on the way the piano is scaled it comes out to less than 5 seconds per tuning pin. My fastest pitch raise is about 25 minutes and my usual time is about 30 minutes. But I will admit I have a different philosophy than some when it comes to pitch raises. With the help of my handy cyber tuner in most cases I have ! confidence that the piano will be at or very close to pitch when I'm done.

  These are the confessions and observations of an old (in years but not experience) wanna be piano tech. I don't see so good and I don't move that fast so my hats off to the rest of ya.

  Steve
  Pura Vida    


  Steve Blasyak
  atuneforyou at earthlink.net
  EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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