False Beats

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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Bill, if I really wanted to fix the problem, I'd go the route of the =
Epoxy. Clean off the excess. Just check the relationship of the pin to =
the notch; that can be equally important. I've found Kimballs to be so =
prone to poor workmanship as to balk at even trying to take on cleaning =
up the tone. You've been warned!

    Look, I hope that you weren't really sick. The first time I worked =
on a Kimball, I was sick about it too! I have this idea about what a =
piano should sound like, and I was upset that I couldn't get this one =
anywhere close. I think the first piano I ever tuned for pay was a =
Kimball spinet. And here at home I had a Yamaha G2J that was beautiful. =
I only charged him the bare minimum, I was so embarrassed. He thought it =
sounded pretty good. Now I know better; it's not me.

    And this has been another lesson for you; don't point out things =
like this to the customer unless=20

        A)  They're bothered by it, and

        B)  You can fix it.


    When I started doing this, I didn't have this resource, I wish I =
did. I was out in the boonies, but I made sure I drove the two hundred =
mile round trip to go to chapter meeting every month.

   =20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: William R. Monroe=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 7:22 PM
  Subject: Re: False Beats


  Kevin,

  Not my piano, but my tuning!!  I finished a tuning and was sick.  I =
kind of felt the need to point out the false beats to the client in an =
effort to save face on the tuning.  Essentially demonstrated the problem =
by muting two of the three strings and said that if it is too much of a =
distraction (for his two daughters who play) that we could try a couple =
things to fix them.  What is your take on removing the bridge pins and =
putting epoxy in there and seeing what that does (if they are loose)?

  William R. Monroe
  PTG Associate
  Salt Lake City, UT

    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Kevin E. Ramsey=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 7:11 PM
    Subject: Re: False Beats


        You know, Bill. False beats are in almost every piano. Is the =
customer complaining, or are you the customer? If the customer doesn't =
seem to notice, then don't bring it up. If it's your piano and you =
really want to get rid of those beats, it may be possible, if you want =
to re-pin and re-notch the bridge, re-radius the bearing bar, and =
re-string. I've come to the conclusion that 90% of all false beats come =
from bridge pins that are either not perfectly aligned with the notch, =
or have some looseness in the bridge. Just my two cents worth. When I =
was new to the trade I went on a quest to find the answer for how to =
quickly and effectively get rid of false beats. Nobody really had the =
answer. Sometimes it can actually be bad wire work, but I really think =
that you could restring a whole section and if that's all you did, you'd =
still have false beats.
        But that's just my opinion.=20

        Wait,,, I just read you posting again,,,,,,,, I missed that part =
about it being a Kimball..     Forget it Bill. Nothing's going to work.


      ----- Original Message -----=20
      From: William R. Monroe=20
      To: Pianotech=20
      Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 6:13 PM
      Subject: False Beats


      List,

      I serviced a 1973 Kimball Grand today that has some serious false =
beats in the upper tenor and treble sections.  Tried dressing them to =
the bridge and did not noticeably help.  Looked over key points and =
everything seems to be in order (bridge pinning and notching look good, =
agraffes seem to be applying adequate downpressure).  Is there anything =
I may have overlooked before I suggest replacing some of the offenders?

      William R. Monroe
      Associate PTG
      Salt Lake City, UT

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