Andre and list, Perhaps you can help me with this problem. I service a Steinway M that was reconditioned with new pinblock, strings, hammers, etc. by a reputable rebuilder whose credentials are immaculate. The piano is in a Church. The rebuilders are located an hour's drive from me and I am their technician in this area. Each time I show up for a tuning I have to give the piano a pitch raise because it is at least 8 cents or more flat. I tuned it not quite 2 months ago and 2 days ago it was 7.8 cents flat. It has received 8 tunings since its reconditioning. Other pianos rebuilt by this firm that I have serviced have held pitch very well. No problems. I suspected the problem to be plate flange to pinblock fit but the rebuilder claims his men were meticulous in fitting the new Bolduc pinblock. I am going back Tuesday (10/28) to take some measurements and to check the pinblock fit to plate. I wriggled underneath the piano to check the soundboard and ribs and saw nothing suspicious. The rebuilder suspects that perhaps the dampp-chaser heater rods are not the correct wattage. Is there anything else that I should check that would cause this problem? I would appreciate any suggestions. >Hello Listers, >Some time ago (you know, as time goes by...) we had an interesting >discussion about some trouble I had with a Steinway model A. >Just to remind you all (y'all) what the problem was with the instrument: >The sound in the third string section, counted from left to right (octave >c''to about e''') was very very bad. >I was called in by a piano dealer (not a Steinway dealer) because he had >installed new original Steinway hammers and he wanted me to regulate and >voice the grand. >At first, I noticed that the hammerline of the brand new hammers was not >correct at all, so I started doing hammer travel and spacing, followed by >a correction of the hammershanks in the treble to the desired length, and >this took me some time as you understand (...so glad somebody finally >understands). >After having done this, I took a long time for regulation, tuning and >first voicing. >By then it was about 4 in the afternoon and I began to worry about that >particular trouble section in the treble....my treble was in trouble!! > >Actually, this Steinway A now had a pretty good touch and it sounded >pretty good too! except for that one section. >At that moment on that afternoon, I was tired and a bit unhappy..as you >can imagine. >I told the owner of the shop that I was not trough with this one, and that >I would ask around. >Which I did, because I put my problem before you guys and gals, and I >received some really good answers. See..never too old to learn >(loin..my >wife happens to be from NYC..haha). > >Anyway, shortly afterwards (that time again!), I was in the Steinway >factory in Hamburg and I had quite a long discussion about this special >case. >I think that I now have a better understanding about why that string >section sounded so bad. >I learned in Hamburg that with this model A, it is often necessary to >change the hammerline in that particular string section, and not just 1 mm >or so, but sometimes 2 mm or even more! > >After having learned about this, I thought that it would be helpful to >tell my colleagues on the list about it. >So...if you work on an older Steinway model A (in this case, made in >Hamburg), and you have a problem in the third string section, counted from >left to right (octave c''to about e'''), then I hope that you will >remember my tiny story. > >No no! thank you..that's fine! this time without charge.... > > > >Friendly greetings from : > >CONCERT PIANO SERVICE >André Oorebeek >Amsterdam, the Netherlands > >‰ where MUSIC is no harm can be ‰
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