what to do, what to do...

[David Andersen]

On May 23, 2008, at 9:35 AM, daniel carlton wrote:

> a customer of mine had a piano that belonged to her recently  
> deceased father and she wanted to give it to someone that could  
> make some good use of it, so i took it thinking i could tune it,  
> shape the hammers a little, do a quick regulation and sell it. it's  
> a Bradbury #111850, ca 1933.
>
> i had another customer wanting to upgrade from her current piano,  
> so i showed it to her, explaining i would clean it, service it, and  
> tune it. we decided on a price and approximate date of deliverly.
>
> my main problem now is that since i moved it into my shop, hairline  
> cracks have developed in the soundboard.

Are you sure they developed in your shop? How long has it been there?  
What's the average RH of your shop? Any spikes you know of?

I perceive cracks like these, tiny openings along the butted glue  
joints, as expansion joints. In 99.999% of cases, they have no effect  
on the tonal performance of the instrument. If you must, tell your  
client about them, and say that to your best professional knowledge  
and experience, and the experience of your respected colleagues and  
mentors, these tiny cracks are not an issue. They certainly do not  
diminish the value of the instrument in any fundamental way.

That said, you have to look at the dissonance between where the piano  
was and where it is now. If the cracks keep expanding, you have a big  
problem in your shop......

Best,
David A.

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