>From Damppchaser's website: Manufacturer's recommending their product... Steinway & Sons "The installation of a Dampp-Chaser Humidity Control System can, in our opinion, provide a degree of climate control for the piano which may not otherwise be attainable." Sounds like you ran into a loose cannon...he may have been talking about under the pinblock...? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "William Truitt" <surfdog at metrocast.net> To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 1/31/2010 3:37:22 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness >Hi David: > >I agree with you that the 15 watt damp chaser bar under the block is unlikely to >destroy it, and would perhaps to some degree loosen the pins in a desirable fashion. > How much and whether that would be enough is another question. My point was >that such use would not necessarily be viewed favorably by a manufacturer. I recall >a few years ago I had installed a d. c. unit in a Steinway in a church that had >significant and tuning destabilizing issues due to excessive humidity and then >dryness. It quieted the pitch movement down as expected. Some time later in an >unrelated matter, the church music director had a conversation with the area >Steinway dealer, who advised her to remove it because it would damage the piano, >and told her that it was Steinway’s position that these units did more harm than >good if improperly installed. Therefore, they advised against the use of them. I >thought that was idiotic, but that seemed to be their official position. > >I agree with you on more radical (actually more sensible) solutions if not under >warranty. Les will have a selling job to the manufacturer , to be sure. Still the >effort should be made; nothing ventured, nothing gained. He needs to charge >appropriately for his time ASAP, for sure. Or decline to work on the piano in the >future. > >Will > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of David Love >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 4:45 PM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >No respect needed I was being somewhat facetious which is why I introduced it as >“if you’re braveâ€. I figured people would get it but evidently not. If the >manufacturer considers tight pins a warranty issue then send it back but good luck >with that. Otherwise it’s the customer’s problem and the tech’s job to >help them find the best solution or just live with a difficult piano to tune. If the block >is truly not tunable and if it’s not under warranty then I don’t see the >problem with more radical solutions. I can’t imagine a 15 watt bar under a >delignit block destroying it under any circumstances and might be worth a try in the >short term until a more thorough approach is considered, like restringing or removing >pins, reaming and driving them back in. Or, you could just pawn the job off on your >least favorite tech in the area (that’s a joke too, btw). > >David Love >www.davidlovepianos.com > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of William Truitt >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:06 AM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >With all due respect, David, I think that’s a bit of a dangerous recommendation. >I understand why you are recommending it from the point of view of shrinking the >wood by drying it and therefore expanding the holes to make the pins looser. But >the dealer and manufacturer might look askance at this, saying it ruined the block, >thus making it Les’s problem, even a potential lawsuit – in other words, an out >for them and bigger trouble for Les. And the repinning, without the manufacturers >blessing and approval as a solution to a warranty problem; could otherwise void the >warranty to the piano’s owners. > >It’s up to the manufacturer to decide how to approach this as a warranty >service problem. That begins usually by having the dealer’s technician come out >to appraise the situation, advise the manufacturer’s tech rep, and then follow >through with a solution. That solution might be having the dealer’s technician >come out to perform a warranty repair such as repining, or sending the piano back >to the factory for repair, or replacing the piano with a new one. All this, of course, >is dependent on the dealer and manufacturer’s willingness to follow through. > >If the dealer is distant or recalcitrant, sometimes an independent technician can >contact the manufacturer directly and work out the solution path. I’ve done >that a number of times before, as have many others. It has been my experience >that, once you establish to the tech rep that you are not a blithering idiot and >actually know what you are talking about, that they will work with you towards a >meaningful solution that addresses the problem and takes care of the customer. > > >But back to my question- doesn’t >> the company selling the instrument have responsibility for a number of >>years? > >Ask them. We don't make the call. > >Ron is right. Ask them. That’s where it all begins. Nobody who has >responsibility here, the manufacturer and the dealer as their representative, can >begin to address the problem and seek a solution until they know about it. Often >they will want your experiences in writing. Strictly speaking the company selling the >instrument does not any warranty responsibilities as guarantor, they serve only as >an authorized intermediary as part of their dealer agreement. > >Les needs the church’s blessing (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun) to act as >their agent in dealing with the dealer or maker. If the church does not want to >bother, then that’s their call. But if that were to be the case, then he should be >charging appropriately for that 4 hour tuning. Usually that gets people’s >attention when the cost is twice as much every time. > >Will Truitt > > > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of David Love >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 1:35 AM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >If you feel brave you might try sticking a dampp-chaser rod right under the block >and see if that doesn’t open it up a bit. > >David Love >www.davidlovepianos.com > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of wimblees at aol.com >Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:54 PM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >Les > >I doubt if the church will spend the money to repin, much less restring. Tell the >minister of music that the pianos are untunable, and tell him to have the dealer send >out his tuner to solve the problem. > >Wim > >-----Original Message----- >From: Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net> >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Sent: Sat, Jan 30, 2010 2:39 pm >Subject: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness >A local church bought three pianos, roughly topping out at $200,000. Two are >Estonias. On one the pins are so tight they pop, most of the quite loudly making it >un-tunable for all practical purposes. These are about one year old. What would >you recommend as far as some action regarding the piano? I’m afraid of twisting >pins to breaking point. >thanks >les bartlett
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