Why don't you just use Papps wedges and save all that bother? Bob Wilson --- On Wed, 9/9/09, Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote: > From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bluthner birdcage > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Date: Wednesday, 9 September, 2009, 10:07 AM > Thanks for the pics Rob. I've tuned a > few English birdcages - never a Bluthner. On the English > birdcages I loosen the top anchor bolts for the action (or > however the action top is attached to the plate). Then I > simply (or not, as the case often is) tip the action forward > to move my mutes, push the action back, tune the string, tip > action forward, move mute, push action back, tune string, > etc. > > A pain in the tushy. I charge by the hour (an elevated > hourly rate that compensates me for the pain and suffering > as well as the mental trauma associated with this type of > work). Same thing for square grands. > > Terry Farrell > > > On Sep 9, 2009, at 4:03 AM, Rob McCall wrote: > > > Greetings, > > > > I just wanted to share a first for me. I've > heard many on the list talk of birdcage actions, > overdampers, etc. but I've never experienced one... > that is, until tonight. > > > > I had an evening appointment with a very important > client. She's very connected with the local music > community and a recommendation from her can go a long way > towards enhancing my career. So, I already felt a slight > modicum of pressure. > > > > Anyway, I walk in and I find a beautiful black > upright. It's away from the windows and not under any > vents. It looks well taken care of. We chat and I find out > this piano used to belong to a famous opera singer from > Germany. It was purchased by her grandmother and eventually > shipped from Germany over to the US and finally ends up > where I find it... So, I open the top lid, check the serial > number (75256) and find out it was built in 1908. > > > > When I removed the front panel, I'm sure I was > screaming internally. I'd just laid eyes on what I > knew had to be the notorious birdcage. It looked like > prison bars to me. :-) I won't go into too many > details, but the piano tuned beautifully, other than a few > loose tuning pins that are just barely holding on at the > moment. We agreed to address these later... When > I started tuning, it was less than 3 cents off and it hadn't > been tuned in about a year. > > > > I have a question... How the heck do you guys > mute this thing? Other than what I ended up doing which was > to use a single mute and work my way up (from the tenor > break), and then down (below the break). It seems like it > was designed to make it as hard as possible to reach > anything other than the tuning pin. Any tips or techniques > will be welcomed with open arms. > > > > Well, the end result was that she ended up happy, the > piano sounded beautiful, and I needed a drink. :-) > > > > Here's a couple of photos of the Bluthner. It > was really in excellent condition. Ivory keys were all > intact, too. > > > > Regards, > > > > Rob McCall > > Murrieta, CA > > > > <Bluthner.jpg> > > > > <Bluthner 2.jpg> > >
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