Prying - was Re: Everett vertical pinblock separation

[Les Smith]

On Thu, 18 Dec 1997, Maxpiano wrote:

> List -
> 
> Many thanks for the advice on dealing with the Everett.
> 
> I now face a situation where I cannot see if there is a separation because the
> cabinet exterior is glued fast to the top of the pin block.  There are no
> rubber buttons hiding screws on this one.  The piano is an otherwise
> restorable player (Dayton, 1920s vintage).  However, since it is 400 cents
> flat I would like for information's sake to know that the flatness is only due
> to neglect and not because of glue joint failure.  In my experience, neglect
> rarely accounts for more than 100 cents flat.  The tuning pins do not appear
> to be the problem.  

No offense meant,  Bill, but it sounds like you haven't seen a whole lot
of neglected vintage players. 400 cents flat, a major third down, is not
at all uncommon for such an instrument. In recent years I've seen
several that were down more than 700 cents--a perfect fifth--which were
suffering not from structural damage, but just gross neglect. The problem
is that once the player mechanism stopped working--which might have been
40 years ago-- they owners most likely stoppd tuning the piano. Add to
that the fact that many original owners of vintage players were NOT
pianists, and were therefor lax about tuning the piano even when it WAS
warking, and 400 cents flat does not appear to be an unreasonable
amount off pitch. I have successfully brought players as much as a perfect
fifth flat back to pitch without string breakage or damage to the
instrument. It usually just requires lubrication at the bearing points,
and several passes. You don't bring 75-year-old strings on a 75 year
old player up a major third or a perfect fifth in one pass without risking
a lot of broken strings and perhaps damage to the instrument as well.
This is especially true if the piano happens to be--once again, no
offense intended here--a bottom of the barrel player like that Dayton.

A couple of suggestions: If the player mechanism is still in this
piano you should remove it first so that you can carefully examine
the plate and bridges for structural damage before attempting any
type of pitch-raise, or tuning. One of the most common problems in a
lower quality player will be a self-destructing bass bridge which you
won't be able to inspect with the pumping bellows in the way. MANY
times the bass bridge will be beyond repair and need replacing. Also,
before talking the owner into putting any major dollars into this
piano--especially if he's thinking about restoring the player mechan-
ism,too--be aware that the Dayton player, which was made by Harvard,
used one of two obscure and difficult-to-rebuild player mechanisms,
the Otto Higel and the Krell. Unless you, yourself, rebuild players,
it might be difficult to find a technician who will be willing to
untake the restoration of either system without the probable investment  
of big bucks. Both systems are quirky enough that they probably will   
need to be completely rebuilt to get them working properly again, if,
indeed, they ever did. 

Even if the owner is willing to invest the required dollars to bring
both the piano and player mechanism back into good working condition,
it is entirely possible that the cost of doing so will exceed the
value of the instrument when he's finished. If the instrument has
great sentimental value to him, he might decide to go ahead with the
work anyway, but he should do so going in with his eyes opened. The
fact is that many professional restorers and knowledgeable amateurs
are complaining lately about a soft market even for "name-brand"
vintage players with top-of-the-line player mechanisms like Standard,
Autopiano, Simplex, Aeolian, etc. A Dayton with either an Otto Higel
or Krell player action doesn't even come close on either count, which
is why they were already out of business in 1925, right at the zenith
of the player piano era. 

Just be aware of what you're possibly getting invloved with here. As
"Buck" Staghorn says: "Watch where you step!"

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net