Excuse me, Gordon- just what IS a "mose- infected" piano. Sounds dang dangerous to me! Sorry- Henry Cook ----- Original Message ----- From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 11:44 AM Subject: Re: mice in the piano > If you don't thoroughly clean the interior of the > piano, you will be putting whomever plays it in danger > as they, encouraged by the tuning, pound away on it > and kick up the residue under the keys, and breathe > it. But cleaning it will put you in danger. Much has > been written here about mouse-infested pianos, and you > should check the archives. I was coughing up blood for > a month once from tuning a mose-infested piano, and > ended up at the hospital. Beware. If the infestation > is more than minor, tell her to get a different > piano, and burn this one. > Most definitely don't give it to a poor family > "for their kids to learn on. " ( What rich people > usually do with infectious, dangerous pianos, in my > experience. ) > G > G > > --- pianotune05 <pianotune05@comcast.net> wrote: > > > Hi everyone, > > I got a call today from a lady who told me that > > there is evidence of mice in the piano, or past > > mouse activity. I'm going over to take a look at > > the piano tomorrow. Actually, she's willing to pick > > me up. She drives Mercedes, an old one she tells me. > > If the spelling is incorrect, blame my wife.:) > > > > Anyway, I won't do anything with the keys and action > > of the bridal straps are missing until I learn that > > repair. However, I want to accomodate her the best > > I can. She wants it tuned, but a couple of keys > > will go down but not up. I'm guessing there's a > > mouse nest in the key bed, however, is there > > something I can do in order to give that key a quick > > free up so it will go back up before I learn that > > bridal strap repair etc? Also, I read in one of > > our past journals some time back that lavender > > placed inside the piano helps keep mice away. Where > > do I purchase lavender? > > > > I apologize if this is a question already exists in > > the archives as one guy on here reamed mb about a > > while back, but i'ts a lot easier than hunting down > > an archive. Thanks so much everyone. > > Marshall > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Aart in America Piano Services > > To: Pianotech List > > Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 7:15 PM > > Subject: harpsichord > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Blaine. > > > > Thank you so much for taking the time to compose > > this very informative and helpful email. > > The directions you have provided are invaluable! > > > > I'll let you and the other good folks on the > > list know how it comes out. > > > > Very best regards, > > > > Aart > > > > Aart in America Piano Services > > Hoboken, N.J. 07030 > > 201 406 2594 > > aartinamerica@optonline.net > > > > On Feb 16, 2006, at 9:01 AM, Blaine Vesely > > wrote: > > > > > > Aart, > > I get pianotech in digest form and have > > minimal time to read everything, but your post > > prompted this email. Don't even worry about taking > > inharmonicity measurements with a SAT2 since the > > machine does not go below 2.0 I think. A > > harpsichord modelled after an old Baroque French > > Double (sounds like this is the kind you will be > > working on) will not have much inharmonicity. Just > > use the 4th octave settings on your SAT to tune from > > B4 to the bottom of the harpsichord. A4 will be > > more toward the treble than the bass side of the > > keyboard assuming a compass of F to F. Probably the > > second A from the top of the range on the keyboard. > > When you tune the C5 to top of the keyboard, you may > > have to insert some stretch alittle, but not much. > > You can use the individual settings and tune the > > notes directly, like set machine to D5 and tune D5, > > D#5 and tune D#5. This gets you in the ballpark > > pretty much. Then use your ear to test if some > > stretch is needed. On a French Double, you will > > have two 8 foots and a 4 foot. I usually tune the > > top manual. It will only operate one set of 8 foot > > strings. You must make sure the top keyboard is > > coupled. Slide the whole keyboard front or back and > > it will couple the keyboard to the jacks. When you > > get the top manual tuned, then play the bottom > > manual. Make sure you only have the second set of 8 > > foot strings coupled, and not the 4 foot. Tune > > unisons using the bottom keyboard. Usually the 8 > > foot strings are the tuning pins closest to the > > player. Then turn off the 8 foot (lever that moves > > the jacks) and turn on the 4 foot and tune. The top > > 4 foot strings are hard sometimes to hear and you > > may have to uncouple the top manual and tune octaves > > with just the 4 foot, usually it is only the last > > several strings because they are so quiet and high > > pitched. > > > > Concerning tuning pins, if you have to replace > > a string, you really have to back out the tuning pin > > all the way if it has tapered tuning pins. If it > > has what look like miniature tuning pins that are > > straight, then put coils on a dummy pin and then > > copy what the other strings look like. I have not > > done any stringing with pins that have no becket, to > > if that is the case, you will just have to practice > > and when you get comfortable with it, go back to the > > customer. The pins generally for harpsichords that > > are of a traditional nature are designed to get > > tighter when tapped in and thus tapered. So take > > the pin out, put the string in (you might want to > > take the jacks out) and cut it maybe 8 inches longer > > than the tuning pin. Copy the way the string is on > > the pin and it helps to maintain adequate tension > > when coiling the string on the pin, and drive the > > pin in the hole. I have also been told that when > > you bring the string up to tension that you should > > leave it a little bit under pitch, maybe 50 - 100 > > cents for a few minutes. Someone told me that it > > does something to the molecules in the iron strings > > and makes it stronger. Then bring it up to full > > tension. Oh yes, the low inharmonicity and lower > > pitch when stringing thing I just talked about > > applies to instruments with red, yellow brass and > > iron strings. If you know that the instrument has > > steel strings or has strings that are wound, then > > there is probably more inharmonicity and will need > > some stretch eventually in tuning. One way to tell > > iron from steel is that when you bend or kink iron, > > it will be easier to bend and will give you a > > definite kink. Steel is harder to put a kink in it. > > > > Some fast thoughts, have fun with it. > > > > Blaine Vesely, Piano Technician > > Kent State University > > School of Music > > Kent, Ohio 44242 > > office: 330-672-2898 > > fax: 330-672-7837 > > email: bvesely@kent.edu > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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