---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment List, The Man of La Mancha show now over (with guitar tuned to my specs) and the Chamber music series also concluded, I received a phone call today from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation director with the most laudatory comments I could have ever imagine from the musicians, one of the principal sponsors (with whom I had locked horns in the past over issues about what it *really* takes to prepare a piano for a concert) and Foundation members themselves who have known the sound of that piano for decades. I spent a total of 12 hours doing alignment, fine regulation and voicing plus 3 concert tunings, all for which I was paid my standard rate (yippee!). I used the knowledge I had gained principally from the excellent teaching of Bill Garlick RPT and Scott Jones RPT at Steinway factory training seminars. The "sloppy" feel and limited dynamic range were due to too much aftertouch and just plain soft hammers. The action had been set up with a maximally deep keydip of 7/16". I went with that but filled in on it in final regulation to get uniform aftertouch which I set at the most minimum amount possible. I set letoff as close as possible and gave it a very long blow distance. Minimum let off, extra long blow and minimum aftertouch provided maximum power and dynamic range. I juiced the hammers with my usual keytop and acetone, right on top of the striking surface and nowhere else. Yipes!!! you say? Well, it always works for me. The difference is that I use *extremely* light concentrations and avoid the left end of the striking surface which will strike the strings when the soft pedal is used. I did a total of 5 applications and very lightly needled and scratched *between* the grooves for a maximum effect during soft pedaling. Obviously, the alignment and regulation must be very precise and even for this to work and that is what takes so much time. The juicing itself couldn't have taken more than 15 minutes total. These are techniques I learned at the Steinway factory. Now, it appears that the piano legs are weakening and the Fellowship wants me to accept a commission to repair them. I usually think of myself primarily as a tuner who also does some occasional voicing and regulation work but my rebuilding days ended over 15 years ago. I would like to take this job, however. Any of the few area rebuilders would haughtily scoff at this job saying, "I'm too busy" and/or "I only work on Steinways". That's how I got involved with these people to begin with, no one else would accept the challenges. They will pay me for my time and they have plenty of young men there who can help me get the piano on its side so the legs can be worked on. From what I gather, there are steel rods in the hollows of these legs but there has been some wear and tear which has made the rods loose. I have heard of these rods being fixed by pouring in epoxy. Any thoughts on this? It has been many years since I worked with epoxy so I don't even know where to look for the kind I might need. Any experienced advice would be much appreciated. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/5d/cd/57/c6/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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