<HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Please note that when replacing dampers on 19th century pianos you mus= t first ascertain the grain orientation of the original dampers.  You = may need to cut new dampers from felt sheets to duplicate the original damp= ers.  Changing the grain orientation will change the damping.  Of= course, you need to be sure the dampers on the piano are original!</DIV> <DIV>To understand damper felt grain, tear apart old dampers in various dir= ections, noting that some ways tear in even sheets, others resist or tear r= aggedly.</DIV> <DIV>Ed S. -----Original Message----- From: Pierre Gevaert <= PIERRE.GEVAERT@BELGACOM.NET> Sent: Jan 10, 2006 4:14 PM To: 'Pianote= ch' <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG> Subject: RE: Lovely Birdcage Piano </DIV= ><ZZZHTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:st1="urn:schema= s-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:offi= ce:word" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:v="urn= :schemas-microsoft-com:vml"><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html; charset= =iso-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="Microsoft Wo= rd 11 (filtered medium)" name="Generator"><ZZZ!--[IF !mso]> <STYLE> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </STYLE> <ZZZ![ENDIF]--><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:SmartTagType name="Perso= nName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:Smar= tTagType><ZZZ!--[IF !mso]> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <ZZZ![ENDIF]--> <STYLE> <ZZZ!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:"AGaramond Bold"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:ZZZlink, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle18 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </STYLE> </ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY lang=FR vlink="purple" link="blue"> <DIV class=Section1> Hi,<o:p></o:p>= <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> Joe, I have replaced = birdcage dampers a few times because de old ones with de age  where ge= tting to hard. (it made a difference)<o:p></o:p> So I suppose that whe= n new most of the birdcage pianos had more performing dampers than what we = can hear now. (so why not replace these like we change the dampers in moder= n pianos ?)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> Bluthner made beautif= ull sounding birdcages wich had a much better damping than most other brand= s. I saw several of those Bluthners and even with the original dampers they= work quite well (not as good as modern dampers but close)<o:p></o:p></SPAN= > <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:PersonName w:st= ="on" ProductID="Pierre Gevaert">Pierr= e Gevaert</st1:PersonName><o:p= ></o:p>  <o:p></o:p></SP= AN> <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> <o:p> </o:p></SP= AN> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV> De :</= B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <= SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">De la part de Geoff Sykes <B= >Envoyé : mardi 10 janv= ier 2006 6:59 À := joegarrett@earthlink.net; '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech</st1:Pers= onName>' Objet : RE= : Lovely Birdcage Piano<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> Joe --<= FONT face="AGaramond Bold" size=4><o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <DIV> I do plan on reading = up on this before moving ahead. Just the same, I seriously appreciate your = heads-up on the dampers. I never would have known to even imagine that the = state of damping on this piano was actually intentional. Once again, I have= learned something new. And interesting. Thanks.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <DIV> -- Geoff Sykes= <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> -- Assoc. Los Angeles= <o:p></o:p></D= IV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0cm= "> --= ---Original Message----- From:</SPA= N> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <SPA= N style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of Joseph Garrett = Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006= 3:34 PM To: pianotech<B= R>Subject: Re: Lovely Birdc= age Piano<o:p></o:p= > <DIV> Geoff said: " <o:p></o:p>= <DIV> Yeah, after-ring. The dampi= ng on these things definitely left something to<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> be desired. Thanks for the = response. I'm sure my customer will be glad to<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> hear that there is hope for= improvement and her piano is not yet dead. And<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> thanks for the tip on bolts= and screws. Always a good thing to check. So<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> easy to forget and/or ignor= e. <o:p></o:p>= </DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <DIV> -- Geoff,<FON= T face="AGaramond Bold" size=4><o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Sigh!~!! The "after-ring" i= s intentional!!!! Do NOT try to "improve" the damping of Over-Damper Pianos= ....EVER! These instruments were made to sound like "ancient" instruments, = only louder and a larger compass. Please do not fall into that pit. Attempt= ing to "Improve" the damping will be a road of major frustrations and failu= re. (If the client complains of this, then they need a modern piano. period= .)<o:p></o:p><= /DIV></DIV> <DIV> Regards,<o:p></o:p></SPAN= ></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <DIV> Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oreg= on)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Captain, Tool Police<o:p>= </o:p></DIV> <DIV> Squares R I<o:p></o:p></S= PAN></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p><= /FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BODY>