older Steinway wippens

[David McCord]

Patrick,

I believe your instincts are correct. Hammers, whippens, shanks, flanges. 

If you contract for a "patchjob", to save the customer money, you could
easily get yourself into a big mess. You'll give away many hours of your
time trying to get it to work properly, or do damage to your reputation,
even though you charge a fair price for fast job. Even more likely, you'll
give away many hours of your time AND do damage to your reputation.

It's almost impossible to regulate those jacks properly without adding a
regulating spoon, button and screw. The knucks are probably flat and worn.
How's the pinning? (Teflon - ugh!!) How're the springs? The jacks and
balancier flanges probably need regluing. JUNK!! And a regulation
nightmare. Recondition? Forget it. It cost more in time than new parts
cost, and you'll still have junk.

Once upon a time (the 60's and 70's) we didn't have good parts available
for Steinways. So we patched up the old stuff. Today - that's all changed.

Do yourself a favor - do it right or not at all. If they don't want to pay
to have it done right, let some other poor slob do it. 

David McCord


At 04:18 PM 8/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear list:
>I'm preparing a work estimate for a customer with a 1902 Steinway B which
>had been rebuilt in the 1960s. Teflon bushing style hammer flanges and
>shanks and new hammers (which now just need moderate filing) were installed
>over the original, old style wippen. This is the wippen which has no jack
>position regulating screw, relying only on the felt in the balancier window
>to set the jack position relative to the knuckle. Those felt pieces were
>not replaced, although the wippen cushions may have been.
>The rep lever grooves are a bit gunky, and the spring tension not
>sufficient to lift the hammers.
>In addition, the hammer rail cloth is rather spongy; hammers move alot when
>the flange screws are tightened.
>I was originally called for an insurance estimate, but they are also
>interested in getting the piano into better condition.
>While the piano is fairly functional as-is, it is pretty far "off specs"
>(ie hammer shanks on rest cushions, wide drop, etc). I'm wondering how much
>of a morass I'll be getting myself into if I attempt to do the best I can
>by regulating these parts, without selling them on a complete action
>rebuild (new hammers, shanks & flanges, new wippens, etc).
>Any comments/suggestions?
>Thanks,
>Patrick Draine
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