I changed the way it plays!!!

[Larry Fisher]

Hi all,

Here's a story from the "Service Call From Hell" archives.

Warranty call on a Petrof studio, tune, exchange bench, sticky keys.

First I unboxed a "ScrewUp" bench in their home so they would see that it
was indeed a brand new shiney never been used bench.  I assembled it in
their foyer.  I took the lessor expensive same type bench to the car.  I
removed my shoes and proceeded to the piano.  I'm presented with a short
list of problems with the piano, the author is not present.  Nothing major,
squeeky "number one pedal", F fourty whatever sticks, and E the octave up
from that sticks, plus the "number two pedal" is "twangy".  Pretty routine
stuff except for the descriptions.  The E is the keybushings, I eased them.
The F is a capstan adjustment problem, it was too high, along with every
other capstan in the piano.  I adjusted them all so that when the hammer
rail is pulled on, the hammers follow.  The squeeky "number one" pedal was
the sustain pedal lifter rod groaning on every damper lifter felt ......
teflon powder.  I found the pedal pivots to squeek a bit also, so I put
ProLube on them.  I also could hear some sticky noise created when a sticky
surface is vacated by the item pressed against it, as I would depress the
middle pedal.  I tefloned the felt upstop pads for the middle pedal.  I then
tuned it and left with me in the owner's parents good graces.

I get a phone call.  "You changed the way my piano plays.  I chose this
piano because of the stiff action.  Now the action is loose and sloppy.  I
bought a defective piano.  You made it worse." along with a few other
irritating remarks.  I tried the "tightened the bench, now the piano sounds
better" scenario on her and that didn't work.  I went to her house a second
time with the insistance that she be there in person to work with me closely
and uninterrupted.  Upon entering the house, she insisted that I changed the
way the mute bar (the "second pedal") muffles the sound.  I insisted, under
no uncertain terms, that I didn't change a thing with the way the felt drops
between the hammers and the strings.  I got an agreement from her that
there's no way I increasd the thickness of the mute bar felt, and didn't
change the velocity of the hammers hitting the strings.  I showed her the
adjustment of the capstans and how it prevents loss of note repeat on a soft
release.  I also proved to her (much to my surprise) that on several notes,
the proper adjustment of the capstan actually increased the touch weight of
the key using gram weights.  She agreed on that.  Then she wanted the
capstans put back the way they were before I did anything to her piano.  I
did so making sure she understood that I can't guarantee any work that goes
outside the specifications or standards of the manufacturer and that she'd
have to pay for any service call involving key failures related to this
adjustment.  She agreed and I put a quarter turn too tight on each capstan.
I then showed her how on a slow release, the next strike of the note
generates possible failures.  She still agreed to leave it that way but
still felt that the action still wasn't as heavy as it was before I did
anything.

By the way, the ProLube didn't last, I had to re-lube the pedal pivots on
the second trip with engine oil.

I now have a customer that is displeased with a "faulty piano", a brand name
she's never heard of, a piano tech that doesn't sugar coat anything, and a
dealer that has a foreign accent.  I instructed her, after summarizing my
visit with her, that she needs to discuss her displeasure with the dealer.
I've done all I can for her.

Lar

                                    Larry Fisher RPT
   specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff
      phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com
         http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96)
           Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water