Twist Again, Like We Did Last Summer

[PDtek@aol.com]

Hi All;

Being the tuner for the Des Moines Metro Opera, June marks the beginning of
the performance season, and several rental pianos are brought down from a
local dealer for rehearsal purposes. Every summer, the dealer puts a Young
Chang G-150 into the lower level of this large concrete type building. It is
checked out before delivery, and within 24 hours, the opera is complaining of
"sticky keys". Before I even arrive I know It's not sticky keys. I pull out
the action and the shanks are so twisted it looks like it has been vandalized.
Hammers angeled to the left, to the right, hanging up on each other to the
point that the piano is completely unplayable. The problem is that this lower
level is very cool and damp, and the shanks are warping like crazy. So I spend
about an hour heating and twisting shanks, spacing hammers, checking the
travel, and a couple of days later they are warped again. Are Young Changs
more moisture prone than other pianos? The dealer really doesn't want to put a
better piano down there to find out. (The opera folks are kind of hard on the
pianos). Would a dampp-chaser help the action enough in that moist an
environment?
Any suggestions?

Dave Bunch