Birdcage

[Michiel van Loon]

Eliot,
Birdcage pianos are pianos, aren't they?
And who tune pianos?
Yes, pianotuners.
And if you want to call yourself a pianotuner, you have to tune those
monsters if people ask you to.
Who else would be doing it?

For this time do as Bill Bremmer advises, charge more and use an EDT.

I don't agree with him on the chipping. Most overdampers I tune, I tune up
to the middle C using rubber mutes, from there on I use the wooden buckskin
covered trebble stick mute. In the treble I use the nylon Papp mute.

Les Smith is wrong where he states that ALL overdampers are straight strung.
There are a lot of overstrung overdampers.
And at least over here in Europe there are a lot of birdcage pianos that are
fine, tunable instruments.
It is true there is a lot of junk among them, but most of the time that is
because lots of tuners are to lazy or afraid to tune and service them. When
you meet a Blüthner or Ibach overdamper in good condition you will know what
I mean.
Ibach is said to have been making them until the early fifties (this
century).
One advice , NEVER try to repair or regulate ONE single damper. Always be
prepared to do the whole set.
Regards,
Michiel van Loon
mvanloon@xs4all.nl
Meppel
The Netherlands