With the correct tool...new deadleader, that repair would be quickly done...don't you think? 1/2 hour tops? To me, it seems seems like something that can happen in a piano. Wood changes...the customer has to educated on this sort of thing. I don't see this as a Steinway warranty problem...imho David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 Original message From: "Tom Driscoll" To: "Pianotech List" Received: 12/3/2006 8:38:52 AM Subject: Re: Problems with new Steinways Dale, Example of the Steinway warranty: 6 year old B in a private home.Serviced regularly (By me) here in New England with climate control system. Action setup was good and visiting pianists are complimentary of the piano. Now here's the rub. During regular service I hear a rattle. Not hard to find as it's a loose key weight. I pull the stack and all but a few are loose. While I'm at it I check the damper levers and guess what ? I'm preparing the piano for a recital and it's after business hours so I can't contact the factory for warranty information. My client(s) are good friends of mine and have a well equipted home shop. We set up a methodology and with some improvisation found an appropriate punch and worked together to swedge every lead tight (300 leads?) The damper leads were tightened with a modified plier tool in my kit similar to ones seen advertised in the journal. So a few hours later I start tuning. Now , next business day I call tech services at N.Y. and to my regret I'm informed the warr. is only five years on Steinway AND the problem was humidity related and would not have been covered anyway. When I mentioned that the piano has a climate control system the gentleman said it was probably disabled for a while(It was not!) and that could cause loose leads. I mention that thousands of pianos in my service from as far back as the late 1800's have been in New England without climate control and have key leads as tight as the day installed but did not get much response other than the Warranty had expired anyway. To my mind when someone pays $50,000 for a piano a bit more support should come from the manufacturer. I wouldn't have been looking to break the bank with a bill . Perhaps the Representative 's hands were tied.(by the way it was someone other than Kent ) I have had other manufacturers --Yamaha for example ---extend the Warranty on a minor problem such as this. "I'm sorry your client is having a problem with our piano. In the interest of good customer-technician relations what would you charge us to fix the problem ? " The answer would have been $150.00. My clients paid me that night with a generous gratuity but it would have nice to get some reimbursement for them. While I'm on a roll why is every problem presented to Steinway the first time they've heard of this and someone else's fault (Frozen action centers as example). End of rant. Tom Driscoll RPT ----- Original Message ----- From: Porritt, David To: Pianotech List Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 8:32 AM Subject: RE: Problems with new Steinways Dale: Could you send me a copy of that warranty? I have wanted to see one for a long time but it seems these are classified. dave David M. Porritt dporritt at smu.edu From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Erwinspiano at aol.com Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 11:44 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Problems with new Steinways Hi all I don't get out in field much but I have seen two new Steinways recently year. One is a new L & the other a New O. I saw the O last week. Really quite a nice sounding piano. I've laid my hands on probably hundreds of Steinways of all vintages & not expereinced glide bolts so loose they were wobbling & turnable by hand. Also they were about three cranks from being in touch with the key bed which seems to be par for the course. The damper up stop rail is all the way down on the screws & the dampers are still over traveling a mile. The clients biggest concern though is Bass dampers that won't shut off. After tweaking futzing & lightly bending they were improved only slightly. Primarily it was notes 11 thru15 but on forte blows they were all slow to shut off, with a very nasty over ring. After further examination I found they no longer employ the use of damper return springs. IMO this is a mistake & a pain for any tech trying to achieve really quick shut off. Regulation was in need but not desperate The L had so many false beats in the top capo sections that it was not possible to tune cleanly. Glide bolts a mile off & keys bouncing like a spring board. etc etc. Are you guys seeing similar things & is any one having success getting a response from the warranty department. I have more to say regarding this but want to hear your feed back. Thanks Dale Erwin By the way I secured a copy of the warranty & the wording is so nebulous I can't tell it covers any thing Dale Erwin--Piano Restorations Modesto, Ca. Shop 209-577-8397 cell 209-985-0990 Web site http://www.Erwinspiano.com Restoration & Sales of Steinway & Sons plus other fine pianos. Custom made soundboards by design -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20061205/6be67107/attachment-0001.html
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