<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks Michael, I did grill the owner about any humidity adding events.  Says no.  So I really suspect the piano itself.  Any more suggestions welcome.  Thx\</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith SW FL</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=IFixPianos@yahoo.com href="mailto:IFixPianos@yahoo.com">Michael Magness</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 15, 2008 10:09 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Sudden tuning instability in Kawai KG-1D c. 1985</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><BR><BR> <DIV class=gmail_quote>On Sat, Mar 15, 2008 at 7:27 AM, Dave Smith <<A href="mailto:dsmith941@comcast.net">dsmith941@comcast.net</A>> wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <DIV bgcolor="#ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is a nice Kawai grand which I have tuned since 2003.  It has a working DC system (dehumidifier only - this is SW FLorida).  It has been between 2-10c flat each year  when I arrive for yearly tuning. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This year after 5 months, the owner called me for another tuning.  He mentioned that he hears very faint wood on wood creaking sounds sometimes at night from the direction of the piano.  Also, this time the piano was 10-15C SHARP in bass and tenor, and 10c flat in Treble.Is it likely that the plate is rotating slowly clockwise for some reason?  That is the only explanation I can think of that explains the creaking and the sudden instability.  What do you think?  I havent tightened the plate bolts in the last couple of years, since the stability was good.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I did "frisk it for rodentia", as Ron N suggested when I posted the question about strange sounds a few months ago.  No Ro.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><FONT color=#888888> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SW FL</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><BR>Hi Dave,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I had a similar problem with a Kawai GE-1 usually very stable, didn't vary in pitch a great deal, tuned 3 sometimes 4 times a year. It was in a resturaunt in a Hotel and only played by professionals, one of whom was also a local technician.</DIV> <DIV>The odd ity began about the 3rd year in March, just about this time of year. They called and said the piano was sounding horrible. I arrived and it was obvious that it gone sharp, then flat causing the unisons to de-tune at varying rates. I questioned everyone about water leaks etc. but there had been none. The next year at the same time the same thing happened, I again questioned everyone I could find but got no definitive answer. The following year I was again called, this time I talked to the breakfast waitress who starts at 5AM and she said the only thing she could think of was the carpets had been shampooed after Valentines Day like they ALWAYS were. Eureka, I had my answer!</DIV> <DIV>What I'm saying to you is do some more investigating, was the DC unplugged for a while, was it switched to a different outlet that isn't "live" 24/7 did you have a mild heat wave causing the owner to open the windows for a few days, or worse nights! Is the DC operating properly? Did the owner have some construction/a leak/carpets shampooed/ small flood/etc. <BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.<BR> - Bertrand Russell<BR><BR>Michael Magness<BR>Magness Piano Service<BR>608-786-4404<BR><A href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</A><BR>email <A href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</A> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>