[CAUT] Selecting a new B

[Alan McCoy]

Yet another thing to check for - stripped lid hinge screws that buzz like
crazy. I have noticed this for years on nearly every S&S with as many as 75%
of the screws stripped on lots of pianos. I used to do warranty work for the
local S&S dealer and often had the pleasure of informing the customer who
had just forked over $60,000 for their "dream" piano that I needed to fix a
bunch of stripped screws in the piano. Minor problem compared to others, but
absurd that they haven't fixed it yet. The guys in the factory need to lower
the maximum torque setting on their screwdrivers. End-grain poplar (or alder
or whatever) just doesn't hold all that well anyway, especially when screws
are overdriven. I told them about this issue back in 1992. Still happening.

Alan

-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
509-359-4627


> From: Andrew Anderson <andrew at andersonmusic.com>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:34:45 -0500
> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Selecting a new B
> 
> Dave
> Check string height above the keybed, 7&3/4" +/- 1/8th at note
> 66  (if it is 7&7/8" it really is too tall, I'd much prefer
> 7&5/8")!  Check for over-striking, extra space between shanks and
> felts.  If a bunch of drop screws are broken off at their highest
> setting that's a dead give-away.  Go to the next piano; doesn't
> matter how it sounds if it can't be regulated.  Steinway is barely
> admitting that the problem exists and you don't want to be caught in
> the middle between them and the customer over their QC problem DAMHIK.
> 
> If it sounds terrible in the store, get them to fix it there.  If the
> key ratio is way off and the stack is standing on skyscapers
> run.  Same problem above fixed the "Steinway Way".
> 
> Be prepared not to find the right piano at the dealership and to ask
> about more/other pianos.
> 
> Good Luck,
> Andrew Anderson
> 
> 
> 
> At 05:14 PM 7/2/2007, you wrote:
>> List,
>> 
>> A small local community college is buying a new B and has asked me
>> to tag along during the selection process. In addition to the
>> "normal" inspection items I use to assist a buyer, are there other
>> things that you find are helpful to College and University faculty?
>> 
>> Dave Davis, RPT