Weber upright from 1884.

[Michael Magness]

On Dec 31, 2007 8:35 PM, Martin Wisenbaker <mbjwisenbaker at juno.com> wrote:

> List:
>
> I raised the pitch this afternoon on this 1884 New York Weber upright to
> A-435 and still 3 strings broke.(It still has its original strings). I
> spliced them back on. The lady bought it at an auction for her 8 year old
> son to practice on. I advised her and her husband to not let their son
> practice on this piano. It could ruin his sense of pitch. The piano has
> only a partial plate coming up only to the bottom of the pin block.
> Question: if it were restrung what is the feasibility that it could be
> tuned to A-440? The pin block has some large bolts going in at the top
> but they don't go all the way through to the back side. The overall
> design resembles a German birdcage but it is not that. It is overstrung
> with underdampers like modern pianos. But the action comes out like a
> birdcage piano. Any thoughts and opinions appreciated.
>
> Martin Wisenbaker, RPT
> Houston, Texas
>
Gentlemen,

I, frankly do not understand the concern here. I habitually and routinely
raise pitch on pianos with 3/4 or full plates by 1/2 tone, a full tone or
more Whether the piano is 20 years old or 120 years old, if it can't be
brought to standard pitch, today's standard pitch, then it is NOT a viable
musical instrument. I am beginning my 39th year in this business and have
had no difficulty in applying this standard to every instrument I tune
and/or repair. If I am doing a significant pitch raise, I first make certain
that all of the perimeter bolts on the plate are tight & doing their job ie;
not stripped out in the wood and there are no significant block/back
separations. If it is a half tone pitch raise I pull it to pitch in the
first sitting, tuning each successive octave several beats sharp of the
former from the temperament octave all through the upper tenor and treble. I
tune the bass about 10c sharp all the way down check the treble for
glaringly bad unison's, re-tune the bass and schedule the second tuning, the
"fine" tuning for about 3 weeks afterward. I explain that at this time the
piano will stretch out of tune faster than I can tune it, each of the
strings stretching at it's own rate. Given some time and playing it will
"settle" some and when I return in 3 weeks it will have dropped some in
pitch but not nearly to where it was. I will then be able to tune it and get
it to hold a tune. When I return I usually get a good finish tune but I also
make sure they realize that it should be done again at the next season
change to "lock" it into staying at pitch. When it's a full tone pitch raise
I pull it up a half tone the first time, return in 2 weeks for the next, to
pull it to pitch and again in 2 weeks for another rough tune then back in 3
weeks for a fine tune.

Occasionally a few strings break but it's rare, even on old uprights except
when the strings are very rusty or someone prior to me got too aggressive
tightening down the pressure bar, doing a "15 minute pitch raise"! I
pre-warn my customers that it is a possibility. I have had a few over the
years where I could not set a temperament because so many strings broke when
I was trying to set it. It became apparent that those pianos had a
structural abnormality/problem that had developed making them non-viable.

I live in Southwest Wisconsin and have tuned pianos for people that tell me
that they are confident the piano hasn't been tuned for 20 years, sometimes
longer. I have tuned pianos "reclaimed" from the landfill, built-in's where
they put the old upright piano in the basement of the newer house, then
finished off the basement and couldn't get it out without tearing out the
drywall over the stairs, etc. so successive owners "inherit" the piano.

So Martin I tune several hundred pianos of or near the age of the piano you
write about, only one I can think of has been re-strung most have original
strings and hammers. They are used as starter pianos. My question to you is
does it NEED restringing, are the pins loose? If the pins are tight a few
broken strings are quite normal in a piano of that age. The bolts across the
top are from the factory and as long as they are tight, if your pins are
tight you should be able to tune it to A-440. All of the uprights I've seen
were massively overbuilt and can easily accommodate the extra stress.

Perhaps you would want to consider the hammers, if they're the originals, as
a possibility for the string breakage?

Mike

-- 
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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