[CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"?

[Barbara Richmond]

I agree on the need for a good instrument, but, I have a bit of a problem
with trying to force the hand of the school.  Did Cy say the school is awash
in cash?   Is there really harm in helping an instrument hold the tune?   I
believe as a university technician, my job was (was, because I moved away)
to explain the choices available--especially when the choices involved a lot
of money.

My recommendation, Cy, is communicate!  Explain the situation as best you
can.  Explain what you *can* or *might be able to accomplish* and include
that what you can do is not the end all solution, they had better start
raising the funds for the big fix or purchase--if that is the case.  This
type of approach sure has turned out to be the road to success for me.

Barbara Richmond, RPT
Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University

PS  I just used CA on a B for a financially strapped institution.  They were 
extremely happy to have use of the instrument again.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Joseph D. Gotta, RPT
To: 'College and University Technicians'
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 7:35 AM
Subject: RE: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"?



         Having said all that, if the piano is in a more environmentally
friendly home now, doing any sort of repair may be doing the college a
disservice as well as shooting yourself in the foot at the same time. The
fact of the matter is that the college students need a top of the line
instrument such as this one has the potential to be, the faculty needs it,
and the college is awash in cash to do the job if they decide to adequate
the funds. Repairs may only deny the students and faculty a better
instrument for an extended period of time. Sometimes allowing them to suffer
a poorly performing piano is the right thing to do. It allows them to keep
the incentive to do what they both need and can afford, rebuild.

Joseph D. Gotta RPT

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Cy
Shuster
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 10:20 PM
To: CAUT
Subject: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"?

I've been studying piano technology for ten years, on and off (I've passed
the RPT written exam), and have been tuning professionally for a year and a
half.  I've applied to North Bennet St. for this fall.

I was just asked to take care of an S&S D for a local community college.
It's 1917 vintage (played by Rachmaninoff at one time!), and rebuilt by
Steinway about ten years ago.  It's suffering from humidity damage: 8" crack
in the soundboard behind and under the treble bridge and elsewhere, false
beats in the low tenor (loose bridge pins?), and loose tuning pins in the
bass.  One or two are so loose I was tempted to mute them, for fear they
wouldn't survive a concert.

Of the needed repairs, the only one's I'm qualified to do are to CA the
loose pins, which I've done successfully three times previously.  I'll
happily do this on someone's no-name, 100-year-old, 4'8" neonatal grand with
rusty strings, but I want to ask for advice before doing anything
irreversible to an instrument of this caliber.  I can do the repair without
side effects, I'm sure (I pull the action and use copious amounts of plastic
tarps), but still...

Is the right thing to do to simply write up a report and say that it needs a
new pinblock, bridge cap, and at least epoxy in the soundboard cracks?  Or
let Steinway re-evaluate it?  Is it better to pull the loose pins and shim
with sandpaper or veneer rather than risking CA?  Will Steinway scoff if
they get a CA'd pinblock to replace?

Side note: it has a disassembled DC system... sigh...

--Cy Shuster--
Bluefield, WV