[pianotech] Steinway B

[Ron Nossaman]

On 4/6/2011 8:06 PM, Richard Ucci wrote:
> List,
> I have a client with a 1890's B which was rebuilt last year. It's one of
> those with the round red understring felts in the treble, with new
> Steinway hammers. Serial #63710.
> The treble section all the way to the top is DULL CITY. The rebuilder
> said it was the it was made. This piano has only 85 keys.
> What would be the best way to bring it up?

I essentially agree with Nick. Do what you can to try to make what is 
there work first. Lift and level strings, tighten bends around bridge 
pins, and try to salvage what's left with voicing - just like you would 
do with any of a number of brand new pianos showing the same problem. 
Sometimes it's relatively simple. When that doesn't work, do all the 
available soundboard diagnostic routines, including crown and bearing 
measurements, pluck tests, and divination from stirring the entrails of 
your "auricle" of choice to determine viability of the board. Should you 
get lucky in phase one, and be able to meet the owner's performance 
criteria with stringandhammerdigitation, you have definitely already 
won. If not, you're looking at finding a graceful way to say  that the 
instrument needs a working board, which it doesn't now have, which 
should have been included in the original rebuild estimate. Good luck.
Ron N