Piano Warrenty/False Beats

[Brian Trout]

I'm with you on this one, Terry.

If those bridge pins are indeed loose, I believe it is a warranty issue.
(It's something that certainly won't improve with the passing of time,
either!  Those bridge pins aren't "Steinway hammers" that have to be 'broken
in' over the course of years. <insert small bit of sarcastic overtone
here...>

I've recapped bridges from pianos close to 100 years old that had bridge
pins so tight that I almost couldn't get the old pins out.

I don't mean to be overly critical here, but I have trouble thinking that
the bridge pins should be coming loose at 9 years of age under normal
environmental conditions.  It don't seem right to me...  but I am kinda
fussy 'bout such things.

Now, that being said... I'm gonna rattle on a bit...  It is possible to pull
the bridge pins, redrill the holes for the next sized pins, and insert the
next sized pins, provided there's a wide enough footprint where the strings
lay across the top of the bridge for the strings to fit between the larger
bridge pins.  (I don't recall how Bostons are spaced.)  It's not something
I'd particularly like to do, but it might be an option if it looks like the
bridge is actually in pretty decent condition.  It's also all too easy to
break off drill bits in the holes even if you're pretty good with that
drill.  It's still a pain letting down the tension, moving the strings out
of the way, etc., etc..., but you could do it in small sections if you
wanted to, and pretty much maintain most of the tension on the piano while
you work.  If you went with a full blown recapping, you'd need to lower the
tension on the whole piano.  Going cheaper yet, you could go with pulling
the pins and putting epoxy in the holes, and driving in the same sized pins.
But I don't know how I might feel about that being an acceptable 'warranty
replacement'.  Functionally, I would think it might be just fine, but it
seems to be getting farther into the realm of the appearance of questionable
repairs.  CA is probably the next option on my little list, but that doesn't
seem right to me either, not for a true warranty repair.

Just some miscellaneous thoughts, Terry.  I vote for it being a warranty
issue (not that my opinion amounts to a hill of beans!) ;-)   I wonder who
it would be that would be the warrantor?  Steinway?  Kawai?  Both?  Neither?
Hmmm...

I'd be curious to see what the person holding the warranty has to say.  It
would be interesting.  Let us know, 'k?!!

Take care, & good luck.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net