<html> <head> <style> .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body class='hmmessage'> I don´t think that there is anything wrong with the bass bridge. I have some customers with a Steinway Z and I am always nerved when I have to tune these beasts. The bass is nearly not tunable due to great inharmonicity. I am not shure if soft or weak are the propper terms to describe the bass sound, but the bass sounds awful anyway on every Z I know. This model Z was nothing that Steinway can be proud of. Rather embarrasing for Steinway to put their name on these pianos. The usual price for a Z is here between 9.000 and 12.500 US Dollar.   Concerning the hinge pin: I always remove these pianos from the wall and apply some grease to it. So it´s easier to pull it out the next time.   Gregor > From: David@piano.plus.com > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Steinway model Z weak bass > Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 12:30:23 +0000 > > Last week I had a call from a local retired music teacher, who I had as > class music teacher when I started high school back in 1971. He is active in > musical circles locally, but has never been my client simply due to having > stayed with the father-and-son team (now son only) that he used for years. > > He wasn't too happy wiuth the tuning that was done a couple of months ago, > and wanted me to come instead, which I did. His piano is a Steinway Model Z > from 1971 and oddly, it's the first Steinway Z I have tuned since I started > in 1984. I have to say I wasn't phenomenally impressed. It's nice enough > and all that, but not superlative in any way. The top lid is hinged from > the left hand end, a thing I've seen before - I guess it was meant to impart > the impression of opening a grand lid. But in what I feel is a design flaw, > the hinge pin must be removed to take off the lid for tuning, and it has to > be withdrawn from the back, which means pulling the piano out from the wall. > > Anyway, what I'd like opinions on is this: The bass sounds soft and weak, > almost (but not as bad) as if the bass bridge was detached. Time simply ran > out for investigating this, as I had done some key easing and he had to go > out. When I commented on the bass, he agreed and said it had always sounded > like that. I would like to go back and have a proper look at the bridge etc > at some point. But does anyone know if there is any particular feature or > problem with the Z? > > I see a dealer is selling one of the same age for around $20,000 which seems > to me far too much. You could buy a beautiful new Feurich form not much > more. But I guess they will get their price because of the name. > > Best regards, > > David. > > > <hr />Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/' target='_new'>MSN Messenger</a></body> </html>