birdcage tuning

[Dean May]

I would think all is not lost. If it is an open faced block the top can be
cut off with a band saw and a new block glued underneath. One could also
drill it from underneath to within 1/8" of the top and glue some plugs in.
Even perhaps the plugs could be inserted from the top, depending on the
location of the signature. 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Anne Acker
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 8:00 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: birdcage tuning


The real question is, why would you ever tune a piano never designed for
A440 to be A440?   It's like asking you to carry an elephant about.  You
just aren't designed for it, and your frame will suffer for it.

This is a common source of damage to 19th century pianos, btw.
"Well-meaning" repeated pitch raises to A440, even employing overpulls to
achieve it., gradually destory the frame and pinblock, and then the techs
will say the piano design or construction was defective.  Well, not
necessarily.  It was just asked to to more than it was designed to do.

The worst case I know is a piano signed by Paderewski on the pinblock.  A
"well meaning tuner" at an important university kept pulling up this French
piano (which were often A430) and managed to turn the pinblock into the
grand canyon.  Repairing it would have destoryed the signature.  Cute.  the
instrument became worth only the value of the signature and the owner (who
was storing it there at his alma mater) sued.

It behooves you to do your homework on older pianos before choosing a pitch
level.  

Anne
. 



****************
Hi David,

If it was raised to A440 once--what was the justification for not doing so
this time?

At 02:31 AM 7/6/2007 +0100, you wrote:
>Another fine example of English cheapo piano pinblock "design".
>
>I first tuned this something over a year ago. It had been bought for the 
>couple's child by Grandad, and was 400 cents low, yes a major third.  At 
>that pitch, it really was unplayable, sounding glassy and dreadful. I 
>siuggested to the couple that if we were going to raise the pitch, it might

>as well be to A440, as at least two tunings would be involved anyway.  I 
>raised it to A440 and it seemed