Dear List, Sorry that we have taken so long to add our comments on this topic. I'm pretty sure the clocks around here move slower than in the outside world. The official Steinway response is this: It has been our experience that removing the bar does not create a problem if it can be taken out with a medium amount of force. Basically, what Don McKechnie sayed. Obviously if the bar seems to be under compression it would be bowed and we would recommend that the tension be decreased before removing the bar. This, however, would be the exception. The factory initially fits each bar by filing etc., prior to stringing. After stringing and basic chipping it is reinstalled by the stringer. The damper men also remove and reinstall it. There never seems to be a problem due to a shifting of the plate during the manufacturing process at the factory. So, if the bar comes out without much hesitation, you're safe. If not, don't do it without removing tension. By the way, you're on your own if the plate cracks. ;) Hope this helps, Mike Mohr Stephen Dove
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC