Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?

[Farrell]

I forgot to say "THANKS" to Roger and Tom. I will get back to this piano and
take a closer look at downbearing and crown and see just exactly what we
have (or don't have) here. I would love to get the serial number from your
piano Tom - got it?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?


> OMG! Is that possible! Maybe - the guy picked it up a the local
> Steinway/University sale - you know, the place where they try to dump off
> misfit odds & ends like this at inflated prices (how else do you think
they
> pay for renting the university and moving 4,386 pianos - some of them
> twice!). I lost my mind and neglected to write down the serial number of
the
> piano - but obviously I can get it. Do you have the serial number of the
> piano you had seen?
>
> Oh, wouldn't that be a sad, sad story?
>
> You are in Florida? Where abouts?
>
> Terry Farrell
> Tampa, Florida
>
> P.S. My original piano, a 1995 1098, I exchanged for a Boston grand (from
> the same place), because of pinblock/frame separation (they routed in a
> patch - did not fix it), inverted soundboard crown, false beats, etc. -
all
> problems still there - as I saw the piano just a couple months ago, still
on
> the showroom floor and priced at $16,000 (Brand-new! Hand-built by
> master-craftsmen!)!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 7:30 AM
> Subject: Re: Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?
>
>
> > 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
> > >
> >
>