Pitch drop on dropped piano

[Jim Johnson]

I had the same exact thing happen last year to a church Kawai UST-7 that 
fell over flat on it's back when being moved.  The pitch dropped 30-40 cents 
all across the piano.  It also had totally messed up dampers and all the 
other problems you experienced.  Check the wooden blocks that hold the 
action bolts that the action brackets sit on.  Both blocks had torn away 
from the key bed allowing the bottom of the action brackets to move toward 
the strings.  I repositioned and reglued the blocks and everything fell 
right back into alignment with very little damper reregulation.  The piano 
required a pitch raise and tuning, but when I followed up six months later, 
the tuning seemed perfectly normal and is holding fine.  You'd never know it 
ever happened.  (Geee, I do good work!)

Jim Johnson RPT
Cameron Park, CA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "chuck c" <chchristus at earthlink.net>
To: "pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 10:12 PM
Subject: Pitch drop on dropped piano


> Wow,
> Last piano of the day was one I had tuned only three months ago, and for 
> the last 7 years (that I've been servicing it) has been very stable - one 
> of those easy gigs I hope all of you enjoy from time to time.
> It's a Kawai UST-8C in a community clubhouse that gets tuned once a year.
> Get to it today and it's 20-25 cents flat throughout.
> I can usually plan on a relatively quick service call since no schmoozing 
> is involved, just straight piano work -
> but today's visit was over two frustrating hours.
> I should have figured it out more quickly, it all made sense after 
> inquiring at the office on my way out.
> Not only the abrupt and extreme pitch drop, but dampers that lift very 
> unevenly now, pedals that can not be properly adjusted, left key block 
> keeping A0 immobile....
> Found out that the custodian was moving it one night, and it fell over, 
> presumably on its back.
> I've seen this once before at a school on a P22, where the pitch dropped 
> significantly too but there was more case damage but no damper problems 
> resulted.
> Am wondering if the pitch raise and tuning (on the UST-8C) will hold very 
> well, or if there will be further consequences. We'll see.
> But the damper problem:  I know a split action rail can cause the uneven 
> lifting like this, but neglected/forgot
> to check this at the appointment.  Didn't see any broken rod hangers, by 
> the way (at least I looked for that.)
> Any other thoughts on this, and what to look for on the return repair 
> appt.?
> Anyone else seen dropped pianos exhibit similar phenomena?
> I was wondering why the custodian was acting weird tonight.
>
> Chuck Christus, RPT
>
>
>