<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=Windows-1252"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Number = One:</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>New = customer. </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003>Cable spinet. 1966, no plastic action parts.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003>Actually in good shape, hammers barely dented, felts soft, pretty clean. Asume it has = mostly been used to hold cats and family photos for all these = years.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Bought = it from one of those off-the-back-of-the-truck-guys. They didn't include a tuning or = any sort of warranty.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Almost = 50 cents flat, on average. Regulation pretty good. No mechanical problems.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Owner = is a young piano teacher and plays VERY well. Unlike most, she can actually hear out-of-tuneness beyond just sour notes. </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Says = she wants it to sound really good, (Like THAT's gonna happen!)</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Pitch = raise with TuneLab and fine tune with two passes ... Wild strings galore ... "Wahwahwahwaaaah" all over the piano. Top octave and a half are racous, = shrill, whiny, yucko.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003>Promise her that the effect of the whole piano in tune will be far better than the problems = with individual notes make it seem and far better than = before I walked in the door.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>She = wants to know why we strike the keys so hard while tuning. I explain. She wants me to demonstrate the wild stings and how we try to pull two strings together = in unison. While she is two feet away watching intently, I hit D#5 and = the key snaps in half, right at the dogleg--which happens also to be right = at the center pin ... Grrrrrrr!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Repair = key for free (what else could I do?) </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Touch up and tweak a few unisons. Play it. = She plays it. "Sounds fine," she says.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>So I = ask: "What did you pay for the piano?" </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>"Oh," she says, "We got a good deal. They = wanted $1,500 for it but we talked them down to a thousand." I make = </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Nooooo comment = other than "Hmm."</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Number = Two:</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Nice = German lady with three, count 'em 3 pianos. Doesn't believe in tuning = them too often but says that her grand has a few keys that sound like they are playing two notes at the same time. "Does that = mean it's out of tune?" </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>I = think so, yes. But that's just MY opinion. I could be wrong. Let's have a look, shall we? ( = ! )</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003>Anyhow someone abandoned a piano in her rental house: She asks if I want it. She = says it looks okay except that the runaway renter took the ivories with him.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>Okay, = I can put on the plastic. Meet her at the house to have a look. 1916 Kenmore a.k.a. = Stark. Definite PSCP (Piano Shaped Cow Pie).</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003>They = did, indeed, take the ivories—and the keys to which they were attached!!!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=778413223-29072003>Question: Had it been a really nice piano, could a set of keys be duplicated from the key = frame and some measurements (and, in this case, the sharps)? If so, = at roughly what cost to me? </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=778413223-29072003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. = Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML> <BR> <P><FONT SIZE=2>---<BR> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<BR> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR> Version: 6.0.495 / Virus Database: 294 - Release Date: 6/30/2003<BR> </FONT> </P>