Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?

[Tom Servinsky]

Terry,
This sound like the same piano a customer of mine, which purchased it from
your local dealer, which was sent back to your local dealer, and I bet was
resold without having any work done to it. The exact same problems were
noted and the manufacturer and local dealer agreed to take the piano back
but what happened to that piano since then I have no idea.  Now I realize
this would be strectch if it were THE SAME PIANO, but stranger things have
happened.
Anyhow I did determined that it was a board problem as there was no crown in
the killer octave nor was there bearing. The manufacturer was more than
agreeable to exchange the piano and from the sounds of the conversation,
this was not the first hazard they had fielded on this  model.
Contact the manufacturer directly and you'll be friend of that client for
life.
Tom Servinsky,RPT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 6:57 PM
Subject: Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?


> Tuned a real beauty this afternoon - 3 year old Kohler & Campbell 4' 6"
> grand (or....not so grand as the case may be). I had to take a double-take
> at the thing when I first walked in the house - I thought it might be one
of
> those 2-foot deep fake-grand digital pianos. But NO, I opened the lid and
> low and behold, there were a couple hundred strings in there.
>
> I pointed out the prominent false beats in the top two octaves to the
owner.
> He agreed that was a problem, and plans to contact the dealer regarding a
> warranty fix.
>
> Running up and down the keyboard, this piano has a VERY prominent killer
> octave area. It is about an octave in size and is centered in the treble
> section (second from the top out of four sections). Volume just drops way,
> way down. One of the worst examples of a killer octave area that I have
> heard. It is really, really prominent. Plucking strings indicates the same
> prominent killer octave area.
>
> I have not tried voicing or anything else. But I strongly suspect that
there
> is nothing that has caused just the dozen or so hammers in that area to go
> mush. I strongly suspect this is a soundboard/bridge problem.
>
> The owner is a intermediate piano player at best. He has not said anything
> about it to me. This killer octave thing to me is real, but its cause is a
> bit fuzzy, because I have never fixed one. What is the consensus here -
> should I point it out to the owner and suggest he may want to initiate a
> warranty claim (let 'em voice it six times and replace strings, etc.
before
> you insist on a new soundboard/piano)? It seems extreme to me, but with
what
> I know now about pianos, and if I had bought the piano, I sure as $#%&
would
> want it fixed! I know it is a junk piano, but it should at least start out
> consistent across the whole keyboard. The tenor/bass break is OK
tone-wise -
> I would not expect more - it is on a par with other junk like this - maybe
> even near the top of the heap! - but a whole dead octave seems way less
than
> par to me. Is this elusive killer octave a warranty issue?
>
> Waddaya think?
>
> Terry Farrell
>