<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3354" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } P { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } SPAN.EmailStyle18 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=blue link=blue> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>David~</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I concur. (We were really just being facetious about the price). Thanks for sharing your reasons with us.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I use them now on most of my rebuilds. -Except when someone wants me to make their piano look like the newer Steinways, with nickel plated pins, plate bolts, and pinblock screws. I'm not sure what to do about that. I try to sell them on the authenticity of blued pins. Sometimes it succeeds. But as long as Steinway is pushing nickel pins, it's an uphill battle. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Yes, I prefer blued steel pins too.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>But like all small children, I want to know, why?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>(Why do they feel better? Look nicer? Make us feel better about the rebuild we just did? Make us feel closer to those piano builders of yesteryear?)</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I have a similar issue with pedals. On many vintage pianos made around or before the 1920's, nickel plated cast iron (or steel) pedals were the norm.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>They were strong, and they didn't bend or deform (they might ultimately break, if a pianist had a lead foot, but I've never seen one bend.)</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Alas, the nickel plating would wear through and people didn't like the look, the "bald spot" on the pedal where the shoe had worn through the plating. Obviously, some complained.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Now we have solid brass pedals. They bend. Most of the time when I am rebuilding a pedal lyre, I find the sustain or the soft pedal, or both, are significantly lower than the sostenuto pedal. Why? -Because they are not strong enough to withstand heavy usage and they get bent over time. I would much rather have a cosmetic problem emerge, by and by, than a structural one like this. (But the solid brass pedals will never have a bald spot.) And yes, since they are fairly soft brass, you can straighten them out, which I often do. But before long they will be bent right back like they were.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I understand blued pins will ultimately rust in highly humid climates, like they have in the Deep South or along the Eastern Seaboard. Perhaps that was the cosmetic problem Steinway (and other manufacturers) were trying to address with the nickel pins. (Even nickel plated pins will corrode (or maybe it's the steel under the plating) with time and humidity as well, just takes longer. But perhaps all they needed was long enough to get through the warranty period.)</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>~Kendall Ross Bean</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=130260507-09072008> <DIV align=left> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=533361603-16112007>PianoFinders</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=533361603-16112007><A title=http://www.pianofinders.com href="http://www.pianofinders.com/">www.pianofinders.com</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=533361603-16112007>e-mail: <A title=mailto:kenbean@pianofinders.com href="mailto:kenbean@pianofinders.com">kenbean@pianofinders.com</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=533361603-16112007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=533361603-16112007><EM>Connecting Pianos and People</EM></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV><BR> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left> <HR tabIndex=-1> <FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> David Love [mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 08, 2008 8:45 PM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Pianotech List'<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Nature of tuning pins, why technicians prefer blue <BR></FONT><BR></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They look nicer (in my view) and, perhaps more importantly, they have a better grip and feel with the tuning tip than nickel pins.</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <DIV> <P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy">David Love<BR>davidlovepianos@comcast.net<BR>www.davidlovepianos.com</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">And last but not least, the<EM><I><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> real</SPAN></FONT></I></EM> reason technicians insist that blued pins are better! (they are cheaper!) ;-).</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">~</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kendall</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>