Lowrey grand problem update

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, John:
	Reading the responses so far, I believe that the action may be shifting
too far to the right.  If you are playing a note in the shifted position,
it should NOT touch the left string of the adjacent note (the one to the
right).  If it does, you need to adjust the stop screw (capstan, whatever)
on the right side of the action.  The action shift stop screw is sometimes
in the right cheek block, and sometimes in the right side of the action
cavity.  Or, you could limit the travel of the shift lever under the keybed
by adding a capstan or pieces of leather or felt above the lever. 
	 If you space the hammers properly, where the hammer clears the left
string when the action is shifted, and your shift stop screw is properly
set, you won't ever hit the next note.  
	Regarding the damper problem, if your A# key lifts the A and A#
underlever/damper, you need to shim the stop block until this is corrected.
If it's only one key that does this, you may need to "travel" the
underlever for that note.  I doubt that this would be the case, however. 
Perhaps you need only trim the key-end felt on that one note.  Removing the
stack will help to see what's happening.
	Be sure to think through the solution, because making a change in one
place may affect many other adjustments.  If you shim the stop block, you
may have to re-space the hammers to the strings, which may neccesitate
travelling the wippen flanges under the knuckles, etc.  Look at all the
possible solutions, and try to see what could go wrong in each case.  Try
to find out if someone else has made an incorrect decision to remedy a
problem, which has caused the problem you are now facing.  Sometimes a
little mistake can be easily corrected, eliminating the need to do a lot of
regulation.
	Hope this helps.
	Paul McCloud
	San Diego


> [Original Message]
> From: John Cole <johnspianotech at hotmail.com>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 04/09/2007 3:41:41 PM
> Subject: Lowrey grand problem update
>
> Hey guys--
> I'm the new tuner guy that emailed you guys about the grand damper
problem a 
> few weeks back. Thanks for the replies. I went to the client's house 
> Thursday night. I still didn't figure out the damper problem, but I did
fix 
> the original problem she had called me concerning but could not describe 
> accurately.
> After I had tuned her piano a couple of months back, she called me back 
> saying she had a problem with the G# 4; could I come out and re tune the 
> note. I checked all the strings on that note and they were still in tune, 
> but noticed the damper problem. Fast forward to Thursday. After taking
the 
> action out and putting it back in I tested things out by pressing the
left 
> pedal to shift the action while also holding the sustain pedal (a test I
did 
> not try when I had gone back to re tune). Both the G# and the G were
hitting 
> the left string of the adjacent note in the shifted position. I shimmed
the 
> hammers to raise the right sides just a hair and the problem was fixed. I 
> asked her if her initial problem was hearing both the G# and the A at the 
> same time. She said yes. I was glad to satisfy that problem, but the
damper 
> problem is still a mystery.
> I have arranged with Bill Yick (Arkansas PTG president) to email him
digital 
> pictures to help me figure it out once I can get a camera out there. The 
> enigma is that while the action is out, everything seems to swing the
right 
> way. I can also reach in and manipulate each of the damper underlevers by 
> hand and notice the free movement of each. However, with the action 
> installed, G# lifts both its damper and the G damper. G# however in no
way 
> shape or form affects the G hammer or whippen assembly. G hammer stays 
> perfectly still. An interesting note, the problem is different depending
on 
> the angle of key strike. I can press G# approaching from the upper right 
> side of the key and the problem is not bad at all. I can press G# from
the 
> left side, and the problem happens every time. This tells me it almost
HAS 
> to be the end of the G# key lever. However, when I look at the other end, 
> everything looks like it should with nothing out of place. I even took
out 
> the hammer stack so I could remove both keys. No worn or smooth spots or 
> splinters that could indicate that the keys were rubbing, and the felt
was 
> behaving as well. I just wish I could see past the stack to where the key 
> lever lifts the damper underlever while the action is installed, of
course 
> that would make the job easy. Maybe I'll email those pictures to you guys
as 
> well as soon as I get a camera out there. I'll try to make an appointment 
> with her for next Monday.
> John Cole
> Clinton, AR
>
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