<!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 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings list, and Micheal- I can =
sympathise
with you here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sounds like you've run into an
Eavestaff "Mini-piano". They are horrible things and, as =
you
say, are an absolute pig to do anything with. Tuning them is =
damn-near
impossible, having to contort yourself into positions Houdini would =
have found taxing, and having to drop the entire action =
for even
the smallest repair or individual re-centre, is not worth the time =
it
consumes. When I worked in the piano workshop of our big =
music shop
here, we had a policy not to buy, restore or deal with these things
altogether. Now I'm working for myself, I still won't tune them if =
I know
in advance what's coming- partly because of the time involved, but =
mainly
because of the fact you can't really make them sound any
better. Stretching around the back to tune =
them means you
can't set the pin properly. Couple an unsettable pin with =
hideously short
string length, you've got a piano that should, for the tuner at =
least, be
avoided at all
costs. </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=michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk
href="mailto:michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk">Michael Gamble</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, November 06, =
2003 8:42
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> a very strange =
upright</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello list</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yesterday I had, what I hope to be, =
my very last
contact with one of Eavestaff's most Inconsiderate Piano Designs. It's =
BACKWARDS!! The pedals and keyboard are in the usual place but... you =
have to
remove the BACK to get at the action, the tuning pins and the
strings....! Fortunately it has a short keyboard and the bicords of =
the top
change to single covered at about tenor 'C' and go on that way to the =
bottom
note. The keys actuate the levers via a "birdcage" of pull-ups and, of =
course,
looked at <EM>from</EM> the back the stringing is <EM>backwards</EM>! =
The
metal plate is <EM>backwards</EM> (in fact I could fantasize on =
converting it
to a mini-mini grand!) So I had to get my 'T' hammer and =
my Papps
wedge in there between the pull-ups and the hammers to tune the =
wretched thing
<EM>and</EM> try to hit the correct key. I wouldn't like to try using =
more
than one wedge on this beastie! The cabinet is flat topped and at the =
same
level as the keyboard. That should give some idea of its size. No - it =
is NOT
a ships' piano - the keyboard doesn't drop. I hate it already. It does =
have
the most remarkable tone though... Hate it. And it's wired for =
electric
candelabras...!! Thank goodness Eavestaff are no longer in =
business.... But we
are left with these things - just to annoy! It's all =
<EM>backwards....</EM> It
belongs to a Spice Girl's papa. He's great though and I'm talking him =
into
changing the Eavestaff for a S&S upright. Hopefully. Hate it =
though... Hate it!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards to all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael G
(UK)</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>