Has anyone else tried this?? Ya, that would be me, I think. I don't remember specifics but after hanging around some of the heavy-duty "we'll make it work" sort of techs that I have, I'm quite sure I have done just that at the agraffe. And, on the speaking side to deal with false beats and/or not quite right dampers....but, only rarely. Any more brave souls out there?? LOL Robin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Kline" <skline at peak.org> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 2:45 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Baldwin SD > I'm sure I tuned it after bending, Robin, but I don't remember having > stability > problems with it. I probably introduced a kink into the wire, which > perhaps > moved the bearing to a slightly different part of the agraffe. Well, > that's what > I supposed, but I have no idea if that's just what happened. > > Has anybody else done this? (Your shameful secret is safe with me ...) I > wouldn't have tried it, but I just got so fed up with the sound. > > Susan > > At 12:26 PM 4/1/2006 -0500, you wrote: >>Susan wrote: "Sometimes in the bottom of the tenor section, a note or two >>will have a >>high harmonic beating away, even for soft playing. When totally fed up >>with it, I've once or twice (making sure that no one was looking) taken a >>small blunt screwdriver, placed it between the strings on the non-speaking >>side of the agraffe, and twisted sideways. It felt like a somewhat dirty >>procedure, but the noises stopped." >> >>Susan, was it necessary to tune the affected strings right away?? I am >>wondering if you exerted sufficient force with the screwdriver to move the >>wire on the other side of the agraffe. That is to suggest that there was >>some issue further down the wire that was resolved. Hmmmmmm............ >> >>Robin Blankenship >> >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Kline" <skline at peak.org> >>To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> >>Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 10:27 AM >>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Baldwin SD >> >> >>>Hi, Avery >>> >>>Well, heck, if they buffed the tops of the agraffes ... the whole piano >>>should have jumped to attention! >>> >>>It is hard to figure sound differences by email, but I'll give it a try. >>> >>>Sometimes in the bottom of the tenor section, a note or two will have a >>>high harmonic beating away, even for soft playing. When totally fed up >>>with it, I've once or twice (making sure that no one was looking) taken a >>>small blunt screwdriver, placed it between the strings on the >>>non-speaking side of the agraffe, and twisted sideways. It felt like a >>>somewhat dirty procedure, but the noises stopped. >>> >>>I think, if meeting with simple poor tone quality in the section just >>>below the first capo, I might try taking the same (favorite, soft, blunt) >>>screwdriver (thanks, Sears) and pressing down on the wire immediately >>>behind the agraffe (tuning pin side.) If the sound improves, then I have >>>sometimes woven a little tent of bushing cloth through the strings, as if >>>they were in the capo duplex, and then pushed it down against the >>>agraffe. Well, it's something to try, and does no harm. >>> >>>I suspect that, yes, you'll eventually want new strings and agraffes, at >>>least for that section. >>> >>>I love a good Baldwin bass sound. Newport's SD-10 has a great one -- >>>rich, interesting, easy to tune, not given to brashness in soft playing, >>>and the tone never breaks, no matter what sledgehammer-blows a pianist >>>throws at it. Bronze. >>> >>>Susan >>> >>> >>> >>>At 09:09 AM 4/1/2006 -0600, you wrote: >>>>List, >>>> >>>>I put this on the pianotech list Saturday PM but so far have only had 1 >>>>response. I also want to pick anyone's brain on this list who might have >>>>knowledge of this problem and/or the best way to correct it. Thanks. >>>> >>>>Avery Todd >>>>University of Houston >>>> >>>> >>>>Do any of you have any direct experience with an SD-6 #118127 (1952 I >>>>was told)? My atlas is >>>>at the university. >>>> >>>>Today, I went to look at one for sale at a store at a good price. For >>>>several years, we've been >>>>needing one to put into our large orchestra/band rehearsal hall to avoid >>>>having to move one into there from our major performance hall for >>>>rehearsals of big concertos. >>>> >>>>It's been refinished and had new hammers (Renner Blues, I think) >>>>installed on the old shanks. >>>>Graphited knuckles, etc. Anyway, I'm not worried about all that. That, I >>>>can handle. >>>> >>>>My question is, there is a tone problem in the middle agraffe section. >>>>(It's so hard to describe sounds in an e-mail.) The dealer kept saying >>>>he thought it was primarily a hammer fitting/string leveling problem. >>>>Yes, there is some of that that needs to be done. But I believe it's a >>>>problem in the agraffes themselves. This isn't a hammer fitting type of >>>>sound. It's a distorted/zinging kind of sound. Like a termination >>>>problem or something not seated well. There are some agraffes that are >>>>not parallel to the strings and I first thought that was the problem. >>>>But there are also some with that same sound where the agraffes are >>>>lined up correctly. I'm assuming it probably came that way from the >>>>factory. And it's only in that one section. I didn't have my tools with >>>>me because I didn't expect anything like that to come up, so I couldn't >>>>even experiment a little. You don't really notice it all that much when >>>>just normally playing it. Just when playing each note individually. >>>>Especially with a little power. >>>> >>>>The piano has never been restrung. Even still has the aluminum wrapped >>>>type upper bass strings. But it sounds great. A BIG bass sound! Decent >>>>sustain. The only real problem is in that one area. Have any of you run >>>>across this? Can the agraffes be straightened a little without removing >>>>the strings? My semi-educated guess is that that section is going to >>>>have to be restrung with new agraffes. Or at least, "redone" agraffes. >>>>They did buff the tops of them, though. :-) >>>> >>>>This is pre-accujust hitch pins and from the first treble break down, >>>>has one single-tie string on each unison. The tech at the store said >>>>they could correct the problem, which I would prefer to have done before >>>>we buy it but I was wondering if any of you had any ideas? The dealer >>>>said he'd pay me to do the regulation & voicing. Which it needs. >>>> >>>>Am I on the right track about the agraffes? Thanks. >>> >>> >>> >>>-- >>>No virus found in this incoming message. >>>Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>>Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006 >>> >> >> >> >>-- >>No virus found in this outgoing message. >>Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006 > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006 > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006
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