I have an old Steinway D (ser 150050) under my care that has its original underlevers - the ones with the fixed sostenuto tabs and the damperwire retaining screws (I'm sure there is a better technical term for those) "threaded" into the wood. Of course, after a humdred years, many have stripped, with all the resultant problems, and I'd like to deal with those problems by forestalling them. My preference would be to replace all the underlevers, so as to have hinged sostenuto tabs, and reliable new wood, etc. The other option is to drill and install metal inserts. My question is, "How troublesome is it to replace a set of underlevers?" These underlevers have the flanges horizontally attached to the damper tray (don't know if glued or screwed at this point, but I can handle that problem all right). I assume, never having done this replacement, that these are non-standard parts, and that something would have to be patched together - I see listed in a catalogue flanges for old Steinway, which I presume are intended to be attached to other underlevers, but is there an underlever with the right dimensions? Anyone out there have some good advise (or even marginally good advise) for me? This is for a prep school I service, and they'll need a bid, so I can't just tear in and then decide. Thanks! Fred Sturm, RPT University of New Mexico
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC