List, Well, school has finally started again after the ice storm we had here for a couple of days. The residential streets weren't bad at all, but they closed a lot of the toll roads/freeway sections so most all the schools in the Houston area were closed Monday & Tuesday. I've just finished restringing a teacher's Bosendorfer and prepping a C & A grand for our International Piano Festival this weekend (worked until almost 1 AM last night. Would much rather have been on IRC. :-) ) Now, some questions pertaining to these two jobs: 1. For anyone who has restrung a Bosendorfer (all single tie strings), have you noticed it being harder to stabilize the new strings than on a "traditionally strung" type of piano? Comments? (BTW, I really am glad the school let me spend the money to buy the pre-looped strings from Bosendorfer. It makes for a really neat and professional-looking job. Except for the 3 (18-1/2 gauge) strings they shorted me. :-) Even those turned out pretty good though, for me, and they're under the bass strings so no one can really see them.) And we have 10 more of them!! 2. In relation to the Bose, file this away in the back of your mind if you ever have to do that job. Don't, repeat don't, try to remove all the strings with just your hands. Especially if you're not wearing gloves. (Ask me how I know.) About halfway through, I discovered that the tuning pin coil lifter makes a dandy way to remove the strings from the hitch pins. These were very snug on the pin and difficult to remove. For a couple of days I felt like a walking advertisement for Bandaids. :-) 3. Does anyone know of any particular reason, other than cosmetic, why Bosendorfer uses hitch pin punchings? I went ahead and used up the last of my supply from years ago and they look really nice. I don't normally like to use them in this type of climate because I feel the felt could absorb moisture and contribute to premature rusting around the hitch pins. 3. On the C & A piano, the knuckle buckskin is a little loose around the core, resulting in some extra friction and some complaining about it being a little heavy feeling. Am I correct in thinking the loose buckskin could contribute to a heavy feeling in the action? I don't suppose anyone knows of a "quick fix" for this? There just isn't time to tighten and reglue or replace the knuckles. 4. Some tight pinning is also contributing to the heaviness but it isn't REALLY tight and I don't think time will permit me to repin and then redo any regulation that changes. Any comments on how much the regulation might change if it were repinned? My thoughts are jack height in relation to the knuckle, hammer line and repetition adjustment. I'm also concerned about the key leading, if the pinning was tight when originally leaded. Thanks for any ideas you can pass on my way. Avery _____________________________________ Avery Todd, RPT Moores School of Music University of Houston 713-743-3226 atodd@uh.edu _____________________________________
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