1890 Weber upright

[Michael Magness]

On Nov 10, 2007 1:45 PM, Prof. Euphonious Thump <lclgcnp at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Put a  tiny drop of lubricant on all string bearing
> areas to mitigate this  ( except on bridges ) but some
> crystalization of the wire may have occurred, and
> concurrent breakage, inevitable.
>
> Peace,
>     T
>
> ( P.S. Then, at least, you can tell the customer you
> "did all" you can !!!  )
>
>
> --- paul bruesch <paul at bruesch.net> wrote:
>
> > Semantics check... you say that you broke 6 strings,
> > I'd say the strings
> > wanted to break.  Unless you're recklessly pulling
> > strings way beyond pitch,
> > it's important for the owner to know that their
> > piano's string(s) broke and
> > that you didn't do it. That way you don't have to
> > feel responsible, and you
> > shouldn't, because you aren't!
> >
> > Paul Bruesch
> > Stillwater, MN
> >
> > On 11/9/07, Noah Haverkamp <noahhaverkamp at yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > I tuned this th'other day. 52". There were 3
> > broken strings in the high
> > > treble and I broke 6 more, all in the treble
> > except for one in the upper
> > > tenor. The open pinblock, which
> > > was a very pretty grain, had tiny cracks around
> > several tuning pins, but
> > > during the semitone pitch-raise, all the pins held
> > well except for one or
> > > two.
> > >
> > > The owner is spending a few hundred dollars to get
> > the thing playing. But
> > > we're curious  (this is the first really old piano
> > I've serviced) about the
> > > value of it. It is very attractive and the case is
> > in pretty good condition.
> > > I know it's not worth much without being rebuilt,
> > but what is a ballpark
> > > figure for a rebuilt one? And is there anything I
> > should know about it
> > > before going next week to replace the 9 strings,
> > fine-tuning and doing some
> > > minor regulation? Is that pinblock face veneer?
> > >
> >
>
>
>
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Hi Noah,

Value is in the eye of the beholder/owner! Having said that there are
tipoffs to the average old upright, the "good" old upright and the
"fine" old upright. Look at the details of the cabinetry and the
hardware is it just a plainjane cabinet or does it have some
"gingerbread" on it, is the hardware just potmetal or potmetal plated
w/brass or is it nickel plated heavy and well made? Does the action
have any extra features, a bar that takes up lost motion when the soft
pedal is used for example or is it just a standard action? Is it a 2
or 3 pedal piano? You and I know that the middle pedal frequently does
the same as the left or nothing at all but the buying public at the
time expected 3 pedals in a better piano, while the cheapies only had
2. Are the keys extra long and the cabinet a little thicker than
normal indicating it came from the same production line as a player
piano and the key balance will be poor?

That's my short list of ways to tell average from fine, there are of
course exceptions to that list, if the name of the piano happens to be
famous or the previous owner of the piano was famous, with
provenance, but those don't pop up every day.

I have to agree with Paul, that you need to adjust your attitude. I
have been in this biz for 38 years and I have broken one string! The
very first one I tuned, in class, the first class when the instructor
had each of us come up front to the old upright and tune a string well
above pitch until it broke, teaching us that strings don't break
easily. If one breaks, you didn't break it, either it was flawed,
rusted, old, had a nick in it, whatever but IT BROKE, you didn't break
it. I have since had dozens of strings break and I can honestly say I
did not break any of them.

FYI I have a job scheduled for spring to re-hammer, replace dampers,
replace brass flanges and aneal the brass rails, rebush keys, etc. in
a Knabe upright. It has been beautifully refinished and it tunes just
fine, the pins are as tight as many new pianos I tune, so I will be
leaving the original strings. The owners acquired it for $50. Her
father a retired boatbuilder, refinished it. I was called after
another tech told them to get rid of it and get a new piano!

Mike

-- 
Knowledge is realizing that the street is one-way, wisdom is looking
both directions anyway.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com