<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16525" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    Hi Guys & Gals:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    Here's a puzzler I really don't have the answer for.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    Winter spinet, 40 years old, good shape, tuned up and plays well except for one thing.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    The first bass octave dampers won't lift away from the strings either with the keys or damper pedal.  Also many hammers are blocking in this area.  I pulled the action out thinking a damper rod problem, but no.  All the dampers are in line and lift evenly out of the piano.  The action position looks OK, nothing has shifted.  It seems that the bass strings in the first octave have moved 1/4" closer to the hammers, tapering back to normal at the end of the bass section.  Bass bridge looks OK from what I can see, and yet I can't seem to come up with a good answer.  What would make the strings too close to the hammers?  Or the hammers too close to the strings?  Anyone?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    Mike Kurta</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>    Syracuse chapter</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>