Serial # (was: Baldwin Accu-Just hitchpins)

Delwin D Fandrich pianobuilders@olynet.com
Sat Jan 17 14:52 MST 1998



Keith McGavern wrote:

> I had thought this myself, but the Accu-Just hitch pins are there.  Surely,
> someone wouldn't have modified the plate to accomodate those during a
> rebuild?
>
> Keith A. McGavern, RPT

-------------------------------------

And why not? It's a much better termination system than is the conventional hitch pin arrangement. I'm still amazed that no
other builder has jumped on this idea. (Except for the Walter grand, of course.) Installed correctly, the vertical hitch pin
string termination method is by far the yet invented.

We do this on a fairly regular basis. And, no, we don't have a full machine shop. It does have to be done with some caution
since there are some plates are built quite thin and there is occasionally a possibility of over-stressing the hitch pin
panel. So, we leave those plates alone. And there are some plates in which the original hitch pin holes were drilled at an
angle, complicating things a bit. But the results are often worth the extra effort.

We don't necessarily do the whole piano. The biggest improvement comes in the bass section -- where there is nearly always
plenty of iron mass and strength -- especially with short pianos. It's a fairly simple matter to drill out the existing hitch
pin holes and insert one of two types of vertical hitches.

I should point out that when we do this it is always in conjunction with a new soundboard and bridge cap set so we can
accommodate any change in string elevation that may be necessary.

-- ddf




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