how long until good sound

[Stéphane Collin]

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Hello Andrew.

Besides other interesting input, I am happy to hear your comment.

I had the same decieving experience with a wonderful Bechstein piano, =
which was just perfect (very nice musical sound), but had some cracks in =
the sound board.  In those days, I systematically shimmed the old =
boards, because (I thought) nobody would buy a piano with cracks in the =
sound board, even if it sounds good.
So here we go again, shimming and restringing.
The result was truly the most horrible piano I have ever heard.  =
Incredibly increased inharmonicity in all notes from tenor to low =
trebble, no sustain, ugly colour.  Curiously, as always, bass sounded =
acceptable.  I started voicing those old hammers, which were very good =
before the restoration, as in your experience, but things went even =
worse.  So I put a new set of hammers (in fact, I tried three different =
sets, before finding one that was a little more acceptable than the =
others).  It ended up as a very common piano, nothing to relate to the =
glorious instrument it was before.
What happened ?
I checked of course for downbearing.  In this case, before restoration =
the strings appeared to be just straight (no angle) and yes there was a =
lack of power in the high trebble, but not really a problem, as the =
singing capabilities were great.  After restoration, downbearing was in =
normal values, but really no more singing.
I am still servicing this piano, and indeed, after one year, the sound =
begins to open up a little.  I long to hear what it becomes in three or =
four years.

While some other times the restorations are a success, I admit that I =
now hesitate before shimming an old board, when of course the piano is =
still sounding fine.  I am rather looking for a method of shimming =
without taking off the strings and without lowering the tension, to =
preserve the magic (ok Ric, let us call magic the things we can feel but =
not explain) of the old instrument.  Any ideas out there ?


St=E9phane Collin.

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: ANRPiano@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 5:26 AM
  Subject: Re: how long until good sound


  I am having a related experience with a board I just installed in a =
S&S B.  The action had been very well rebuilt and voiced about a year =
ago.

  I usually am replacing boards at the same time I am rebuilding the =
action and installing new hammers.  It was quite a shock to hear this =
set of hammers, which were very evenly voiced for the old 100 year old =
board, on my new board!  My immediate gut reaction was to wonder what on =
earth I had done wrong.  But as I began to voice the hammers to this =
board, my world took on a much more balanced view.

  I would be interested in hearing of any similar experiences.



  Andrew Remillard
  ANRPiano.com=20

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