<!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 5.50.4134.100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>Dear colleagues - </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The piano is a 1972 S&S Hamburg B. It was = restrung about 5 years ago, and had the pinblock replaced (Falconwood, unfortunately), = and also had new hammers (S&S - Hamburg), shanks & flanges installed. The = company that did the work is an experienced rebuilding outfit.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The piano came back "dead". Very limited sustain - = less than 5 seconds in octaves 6 and 7 (many notes). Extremely dead rear duplex - = less than 2 seconds in top two sections. Weak upper partial volume and sustain = throughout. Bass is tubby. False beats throughout; weird out-of-tune partials in the = bass. All these tonal phenomena occur whether the string is struck by a = hammer, or is plucked.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>After racking my brains about this piano (I service = it about 2x per year), I finally had the idea to measure the height of the bridge = cap above the soundboard, on both the speaking length side, and on = the rear duplex side. The rear duplex side is anywhere from 2/32" to 6/32" inch = _higher_ than the speaking length side. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The piano is extremely unstable. It is impossible to = get absolutely beatless unisons for more than 2 - 5 mf to ff hammer strokes. = The beating that does creep in is very slight, but noticeable to my nearly = 28 years of tuning experience ears (credited tuner by name on many Grammy = Award-winning recordings, as well as concert piano factory trained by Yamaha, Steinway = & Baldwin; occasional tuner at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center). = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Although I really dislike Falconwood blocks, this = one is measuring an average of 140 inch/lbs. Not too tight. 2/0 pins with about = 3/8" clearance between the bottom of the coil and the plate. I have squeezed = the wire gently around the hitch pins so that the strings are parallel to each = other. I have also used CLP at the capo, agraffe, understring felt, and the apex = of the rear duplex, and at the raised projection that terminates the upper = duplex in the top two sections. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>No or maybe a little improvement in stability. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>All plate perimeter screws are tight, as are = webbing screws.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Does this sound like a rolled bridge? How is a = rolled bridge caused? Is there an accurate way to diagnose a rolled bridge? Can it be = fixed in the field? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Thank you very much in advance for your comments and = advice!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>See you in Reno!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Tom Sheehan, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>NYC Chapter</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>