<HTML style="FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif; FONT-SIZE: x-small"><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19170"></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" id=role_body bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7> <DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Richard,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">I agree wholeheartedly! Because there were none to be found, when I was new at this business, I made a business decision to work on them. I quickly found easy (ier) ways to accomplish a reasonable tuning. Because it takes longer to do one, I do charge a bit more than regular tuning, just as I do for players and square grands. As you've said most can be a sorry excuse for a real piano. The true beauty of them, usually, is the fine cabinet aesthetics that the craftsman of the day accomplished.<G> Then add accoutrements like fancy/smancy candelabras and voila' you have a work of "art"?<G> (BUT, not a piano) Of those that were well made, such as Collard & Collard, Brinsmead and many of he German pianos, taking a bit more care and time can have good results with a piano that has a unique sound suited for the music for the masses in the 1800's. <G> Especially if you use a Victorian Temperament. That seems to lendto the overall timbre of these instruments. After all, these Over Damper Instruments were manufactured in factories that were also making regular uprights and grands as far as I've been able to ascertain. I liken these instruments to our modern day Ghetto Blasters = maniacal music for the masses, not to mention complete affront to the ears!<G></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">That's my take on it,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">Joe</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Byeway222@aol.com href="mailto:Byeway222@aol.com"></A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 1/8/2012 11:38:32 AM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pianotech] Tuning my first Overdamper piano - something else<G></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial> <DIV>I suppose that there are not enough overdampers in USA to create the experience needed to be totally fluent and efficient with them.   Please feel sorry for us lot over here who had to be brought up on them and come across them every week, if not every day in some cases.   Whilst the technique for tuning them is eventually second nature, they are still, on the whole poor sounding pianos and quite unrewarding to do.  The worst thing is that thousands of them were made and are still around!!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Richard</DIV></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>