Sohmer Grand

[Daniel Jackson]

Thanks to all the responses about this piano. I was waiting to see the
piano again, which I did today. I was hoping that my perception was off
a little the first visit, but it wasn't. It's actually worse than I
thought. 
	This visit, I tried to tune it and found many false harmonics in the
5th and 6th octaves. I found that the bridge agraffes in that area were
barely putting bearing on the bridge. The worst offender seemed to not
have any bearing at all - the string just barely touching the top of the
hole in the agraffe. Gently pulling up on the string between the agraffe
and bridge to put bearing on the speaking length cleared up most of the
problem. Has anyone ever attempted lowering the agraffe? The other
thought was to put a "shim" under the string on the bridge to affect the
bearing. I don't think the agraffes are loose. 
	Someone asked how the stringing job looked - it's pretty clean  - the
biggest complaint I'd have right off the bat is they got a few coils
about right and the rest are 4 to almost 5 coils on the pins. Now, I
honestly don't know how much effect too many coils can have so I have
little to say.
	I've saved the fat lady for the end...the pin block is sort of caved in
at about the break (or so it appears). I put a straight edge on it and
it's anything but flat. There are several cracks in the block and
several laminations that are coming undone. The block wasn't fit to the
casting at all (only one spot is touching on the front edge. Also in the
bass section the pin holes were not drilled through. Oh, they screwed up
the hammer boring and install as well.....
	I think I won't have to deal with this one (yess!!!!) It's got to go
back whence it came.
	It's unfortunate because it is otherwise a pretty nice sounding piano -
most Sohmer's I've run across seem to be well put together.
					Anyhow, further comments?
				Dan J - Wmbg VA