[pianotech] New topic...Robert Bennett London piano

[Denise Rachel]

Hi Marc,

I saw plenty of these bird cages in Texas back in the 70's.  What I  
remember being the biggest problem was tuning.  You can't get past the  
action to the strings for tuning.  I think I actually had to remove  
the actions and tune with all the strings ringing.  How could that  
be?  But that's what I remember........

Denise


On Jan 26, 2010, at 7:57 PM, David Ilvedson wrote:

> What can we say?   Many of us did our best on these in our early  
> years.   You might as well go through that Hell also...plate of some  
> sort?   Will it go to A440?   Be sure to spend a lot of time on  
> disclaimers...strings will probably break.
>
> You said you went to look at this piano today.   That was a service  
> call?   A freebie?  I will sometimes get a call asking me to come by  
> and give me an estimate.   I tell them I can evaluate the piano  
> while I'm tuning and worse case scenario a condemnation fee for my  
> time to give them the bad news...
>
> You should start carrying a camera for these interesting pianos.    
> It is fun to see what we are running into or from...
>
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, CA  94044
>
> ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
> From: "Marc Mailhot" <mailhot0405 at yahoo.com>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Received: 1/26/2010 4:29:02 PM
> Subject: [pianotech] New topic...Robert Bennett London piano
>
>
>> Hi everyone. Got a good one for you all...
>>
>> Went to look at a piano today that was moved here to the States  
>> from Germany
>> some time ago...and then moved here to Maine from New York State.
>>
>> Going to research this piano but was apparently made in London by  
>> Robert Bennett.
>> Have the S/N too and will check into that.  Also...interesting  
>> appears to be a
>> "birdcage" type action...1st one I've ever seen in person. Piano is  
>> an upright.  Also
>> has not been tuned in at least 20 years and pins and strings seem  
>> OK but it's going
>> to need at least 2 pitch raises before a proper tune because it's  
>> at least 150%
>> flat...i.e...the C sounds more like B or even A...gotta be very  
>> careful on this.
>> Also...customer does not want it tuned until Fall.The Case is OK  
>> and trapwork seems
>> OK but the loud pedal lifts a board under the hammers to sustain  
>> the notes...and of
>> course the entire inside needs to be cleaned. Damndest action I've  
>> ever seen.  Told
>> the customer to save some $$ and gently clean this herself with a  
>> soft vacuum
>> brush tool.
>>
>> Looking for suggestions how to handle this and general comments on  
>> this one.
>> And...thanks in advance.
>>
>> Marc P. Mailhot
>> Marco Polo Music
>> Westbrook, Maine USA
>
>> The Love You Take is Equal to the Love You Make...
>
>> The Beatles/Abbey Road (The End)...1969
>
>> --- On Tue, 1/26/10, pianotech-request at ptg.org <pianotech-request at ptg.org 
>> >
>> wrote:
>
>
>> From: pianotech-request at ptg.org <pianotech-request at ptg.org>
>> Subject: pianotech Digest, Vol 15, Issue 289
>> To: pianotech at ptg.org
>> Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 6:31 PM
>
>
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>>    1. Re: Brambach Action - was Odd wippen (William Truitt)
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