[CAUT] M&H sost question

[Greg Granoff]

Thanks to all who offered advice/knowledge of just the type I was looking
for.

Great to have such a resource at one's fingertips..

Greg

 

  _____  

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
DCyr141833 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 8:02 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] M&H sost question

 

We deal with them regularly at North Bennet Street School in our
rebuildings.  If the whole unit needs to be lowered or raised slightly, we
take fairly large pliers or vise grips, grab the hanger rod - not the
sostenuto blade - and bend up or down.  You'll be surprised that it will
take some bending.  

You can adjust the "in and out" position - just remember, you can rotate the
hanger rod, it is threaded, but you have to rotate in full turns only.
Should be obvious.

If you choose to replace the back action completely, you will probably have
to remove the hanger rods and relocate slightly higher on the belly rail.

 

 

Debbie Cyr
North Bennet St. School
617-227-2357
508-202-2862 cell 

 

In a message dated 9/20/2010 10:35:43 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
johnsond at stolaf.edu writes:

Hi-

Just last week I was in exactly the same situation. I don't see many
original old M&H grands here so this was new to me also. Piano owner is a
piano faculty member who recently returned with his find from the west coast
and was standing there with me while I had to decide what to do.  I politely
exercised the option to phone a friend and would return another day.  

In my case it mostly needs to be lowered slightly, but  I'm concerned that
bending the hanger bracket will damage the hole in the rail. Removing it
first, then bending and reinstalling to same place, seems like too much
trial and error.   I doubt my bending pliers will work on that size rod, but
could give it try.   Easy to see why this design never took off.  I'm open
to any other suggestions also.


thanks,

Dennis Johnson
__________

On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 7:47 PM, Greg Granoff <Gregory.Granoff at humboldt.edu>
wrote:

Dear List,

I'm assisting/guiding a friend and university colleague on a fairly thorough
restoration of an M&H 'AA' from 1926.  The problem is the sostenuto system
does not work-there is no way the sost rail can make contact with the tabs
as it is simply too far away on a horizontal plane-and yet there is no
adjustment whatever on the brackets which would bring it closer. There is no
evidence that anyone has ever messed around with this assembly, yet there is
no way the system could work with the current setup-in fact, we are
beginning to wonder whether it _ever_ worked at all.  

It looks as though it might be necessary to remove the brackets from the
belly rail and make them able to drive deeper into said rail if the system
is to function.  I would rather wait to do any creative bending until other
paths are exhausted.

Question:  I'm wondering if anyone has any direct experience in the
removal/insertion of the sost brackets in the belly rail in an instrument of
this vintage.  Are they screwed in?-driven in?-anyone know?  

Thanks for any suggestions/knowledge about this.

 

Greg Granoff

 

Gregory J. Granoff  RPT

Staff Piano Tech

Humboldt State University

 

 

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