[pianotech] Bluthner birdcage

[Robert Wilson]

Why don't you just use Papps wedges and save all that bother?

Bob Wilson

--- On Wed, 9/9/09, Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

> From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bluthner birdcage
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Date: Wednesday, 9 September, 2009, 10:07 AM
> Thanks for the pics Rob. I've tuned a
> few English birdcages - never a Bluthner. On the English
> birdcages I loosen the top anchor bolts for the action (or
> however the action top is attached to the plate). Then I
> simply (or not, as the case often is) tip the action forward
> to move my mutes, push the action back, tune the string, tip
> action forward, move mute, push action back, tune string,
> etc.
> 
> A pain in the tushy. I charge by the hour (an elevated
> hourly rate that compensates me for the pain and suffering
> as well as the mental trauma associated with this type of
> work). Same thing for square grands.
> 
> Terry Farrell
> 
> 
> On Sep 9, 2009, at 4:03 AM, Rob McCall wrote:
> 
> > Greetings,
> > 
> > I just wanted to share a first for me.  I've
> heard many on the list talk of birdcage actions,
> overdampers, etc. but I've never experienced one... 
> that is, until tonight.
> > 
> > I had an evening appointment with a very important
> client.  She's very connected with the local music
> community and a recommendation from her can go a long way
> towards enhancing my career. So, I already felt a slight
> modicum of pressure.
> > 
> > Anyway, I walk in and I find a beautiful black
> upright.  It's away from the windows and not under any
> vents. It looks well taken care of. We chat and I find out
> this piano used to belong to a famous opera singer from
> Germany. It was purchased by her grandmother and eventually
> shipped from Germany over to the US and finally ends up
> where I find it... So, I open the top lid, check the serial
> number (75256) and find out it was built in 1908.
> > 
> > When I removed the front panel, I'm sure I was
> screaming internally.  I'd just laid eyes on what I
> knew had to be the notorious birdcage.  It looked like
> prison bars to me.  :-) I won't go into too many
> details, but the piano tuned beautifully, other than a few
> loose tuning pins that are just barely holding on at the
> moment.  We agreed to address these later...  When
> I started tuning, it was less than 3 cents off and it hadn't
> been tuned in about a year.
> > 
> > I have a question...  How the heck do you guys
> mute this thing? Other than what I ended up doing which was
> to use a single mute and work my way up (from the tenor
> break), and then down (below the break). It seems like it
> was designed to make it as hard as possible to reach
> anything other than the tuning pin. Any tips or techniques
> will be welcomed with open arms.
> > 
> > Well, the end result was that she ended up happy, the
> piano sounded beautiful, and I needed a drink.  :-)
> > 
> > Here's a couple of photos of the Bluthner.  It
> was really in excellent condition. Ivory keys were all
> intact, too.
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Rob McCall
> > Murrieta, CA
> > 
> > <Bluthner.jpg>
> > 
> > <Bluthner 2.jpg>
> 
>