Two Loose Pins

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi John:

I would certainly try the CA. An oversize tuning pin is out of the question
because there would be even more misalignment of the strings around 
neighboring pins. For safety sake please put some old newspapers between
the pinblock and the action just incase of leaks (splits, etc.).

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Fri, 10 Dec 1999, Piesik, John (JPIESIK) wrote:

> This involves a 4 foot 8 inch, no-name grand PSO, 1920s vintage, fair-poor
> condition, nice refinishing job, crummy design.
> 
> About half a dozen tuning pins are barely holding tension at A440, 2 pins
> aren't holding at all, and the rest are marginally holding pitch.
> 
> The 2 pins, right in the center of the keyboard, are the subject of this
> email. The way the plate/block was drilled has these 2 worst offending pins
> about 1/16 of an inch from each other! One of the pins string exits in a
> serpentine fashion around the other pin, over its string at the bottom of
> the coil, around another pin, and finally on to the hitch pin at the back of
> the plate - absolutely unbelievable! Turning either of these 2 pins affects
> the other! Needless to say, these are the 2 pins that won't hold pitch (I
> wonder if they ever did for any length of time). No room to drive them down,
> either.
> 
> I really don't want to mess with this PSO, but the poor lady paid $1.5K for
> it (without having it inspected first, but she liked the finish), is having
> a Christmas party on the 18th (and she calls for service only weeks before),
> and, of course, her "aunt Elisa from Vienna who plays for the symphony" will
> be there, and she wants the piano to be just right for the party!! She's
> already out her $1500 purchase, $125 for my time during the first service
> call, and whatever my charge would be to go back (if I do). Note that she
> was desperate from the beginning, and still is.
> 
> My question is: Is there *anything* I can (or should) do to get just the 2
> worst offending tuning pins to hold for a week or two? That's all she wants.
> Does super glue work on pins that aren't holding tension at all? Should I
> send her on to the yellow pages with my best wishes? I know I can't win on
> this one. I didn't discover that the thing was completely untunable until
> about two hours into the service call, after I'd made significant action
> repairs - partly my fault for not finding out it was untunable before it was
> too late. Should I send her a full or partial refund and write it off as a
> loss?
> 
> Any suggestions??
> 
> Very Appreciatively,
> 
> John Piesik, RPT
> Piesik's Piano Service
> Oceanside, CA
> (760) 726-4665
> jpiesik@arinc.com
> 
> P.S. Please respond directly to me as I'm not currently subscribed to the
> pianotech list. Thanks!
>