<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content=Word.Document name=ProgId> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Originator><LINK href="cid:filelist.xml@01C51D9C.91A23E80" rel=File-List> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @font-face { font-family: Bradley Hand ITC; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; = mso-header-margin: .5in; mso-footer-margin: .5in; mso-paper-source: 0; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } P.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-style-type: personal-reply; = mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-ansi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: = 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; = mso-bidi-font-family: Arial } SPAN.SpellE { mso-style-name: ""; mso-spl-e: yes } SPAN.GramE { mso-style-name: ""; mso-gram-e: yes } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US style="tab-interval: .5in" vLink=purple = link=blue bgColor=white> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Dean and List</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have the same sort of problem here in = the UK. School pianos - state schools, that is - as opposed to private schools. = They bought a whole load of Danemann uprights in the 1960s. This was a UK maker and like most, if not all UK makers, has gone to the wall. = The Danemann <EM>is/was</EM> a good piano - but...two versions of this upright were available. The strings on the cheaper one the schools = all went for were... how shall I put it?... looked as though they were made of = hedge wire. Horrid stuff. The top notes were always breaking so I gradually = replaced them with Roslau. The state school can't afford major work on pianos = anyway. They can't afford much atall in the musical side of education. Something = wrong there! I have one state senior school (ages 11 - 17) where they have = about 8 pianos. Two are grands (S&S and Bechstein) both are clapped out. One = of the uprights has all its ivories missing... another the hammers all wobble erratically (erotically?) to the strings in hap-hazzard fashion = (the flange bushings are shot). The two Danemanns in the main teaching classrooms both have examples of my emergency repairs, string replacements and = reglued sharps etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BUT you wait till you come across that = worst of bad British uprights... the 1930s Eavestaff Mini Royale strung with the = bichords throughout, the double ended wrest pins which emerge behind a long flap = mounted horizontally under the key bed. Pull the piano away-from-the-wall to get = the back off to reveal the strings, backwards (mirror image) frame and action....The top hammer is where you'd expect the bottom hammer to be - = but wait! You're looking at the back of the beast! You have to wangle a = Papps wedge in there between the pull-up wires then dash round to the front of = the beast to hit the right note and wiggle the tuning lever...(if = you can work out which wrest pin is the right one!) I must find one and = post a piccy to the list. It's in..cred..ible..You won't believe = it!!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>TTFN</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael G.(UK)</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=deanmay@pianorebuilders.com href="mailto:deanmay@pianorebuilders.com">Dean May</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 28, 2005 = 6:51 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Schafer and Sons Upright</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I have = similar experience from a similar era Schaffer upright (I am reasonably sure = it is a <SPAN class=SpellE>Samick</SPAN> piano). This piano is in a high = school choral room. I put on a new set of strings and the problem went away. I am = convinced the original strings were an inferior grade of wire that had simply = work hardened after ten years of playing so they started breaking. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Explain it = to the customer in those terms: It was an inexpensive piano to start <SPAN class=GramE>with,</SPAN> they cut corners on cost wherever they = could. Bass wire on these grades of pianos often starts breaking after 10-15 years = of playing. New strings will not only solve the breaking problem, but = they will sound better than the cheap originals (especially a nice set of <SPAN class=SpellE>Arledge</SPAN>!).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial">Blessings,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoAutoSig><B><FONT face="Bradley Hand ITC" color=navy = size=6><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 22pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = 'Bradley Hand ITC'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: = yes">Dean<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: yes">Dean = May<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: = yes">           &n= bsp; </SPAN>cell 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: = yes">PianoRebuilders.com<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">   </SPAN>812.235.5272<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy; mso-no-proof: yes">Terre Haute = IN<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>47802<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Tahoma = size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">-----Original Message-----<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>noj<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Sunday, February 27, 2005 = 2:56 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> = Pianotech<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Schafer and Sons Upright</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial = size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks for the replies. = The piano in question was built (according to Pierce) by Vern Schafer in Ca. The = let-off in the bass is about 1/8". The hammers are not worn - I regulated this = piano about 2-3 years ago- A teen-age girl is the current pianist- although = her brother used to  POUND the thing!  Maybe that's why there is = trouble now. It is a model US 45- serial # 513185. = </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial = size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks again.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial = size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial">Jon</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></= HTML>