[CAUT] soundboard crack

[Chris Solliday]

Debra, Your problem is not the Climate Control System if it is properly
installed. It always helps if you include a Smart Heater Bar for the
humidifier so it will shut off if the owner doesn't answer the amber light's
call for water and the wicks go dry. The rebuilder is probably past warranty
since most of us only give at the most a one year warranty. Us little guys
don't have the kind of insurance or escrow for warranty to do more. As for
the the Quiet Time Thingee I am not familiar with this device. What is the
location of the piano in the room is it near heat or direct sun? These are
big factors, but there are others like the board's construction and
installation.  Sounds like the rebuilder put in a board or else is being
very conscientious and trying to be helpful with the old one for the client.
If it's the old board it depends on how the negotiation for the rebuild went
and whether the owner refused a new board to save money and factors like
that. You should concern yourself with the stuff you can control, so make
sure the CC is installed properly and advise the owner on proper location of
the instrument in the room, check on your tuning stability, and since you
usually do a stable tuning, if the tuning is out it might be the pin block
moving around, let the rebuilder and the owner handle the rest  IMHO. Chris
Solliday
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Debra Feiger" <debra_feiger at yahoo.com>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 6:36 PM
Subject: [CAUT] soundboard crack


> I have a private client with a Steinway M, from the
> late 20s, rebuilt by a reputable rebuild shop in NYC
> less than two years ago.  I do not know if they put in
> a new soundboard or it is the original.  I am in the
> process of finding that out.  The piano has a Roland
> quiet time system installed and I installed a dampp
> chaser system Jan 2005.  I have subsequently moved to
> San Diego, but still return to NY periodically to
> service some of my clients.  I went to tune this piano
> (it had been 5 months) and also do some minor
> regulation.  It was more out of tune than it should
> have been and when I went to push the action back in,
> it wouldn't clear the pinblock.  I called the rebuild
> shop and they said that the pinblock to be planed and
> that it was common for a pinblock to 'drop' a bit.
> I've not experienced that yet in my 4 years as a tech.
>  I didn't have the tools with me to do the repair, and
> was concerned that I might damage the quiet time unit.
>   They sent another technician to my client a few days
> later.  He handled the pinblock repair, but there was
> a loud buzz and he identified a crack in the
> soundboard.  I didn't see (or hear) it, but from
> talking with the client it seems to be running
> parallel to one of the ribs.  The rebuilder/owner was
> going to go out to look at the piano, but is instead
> sending another technician (experienced with
> soundboard repairs) and he seems certain that a rib is
> separated.  I didn't look under the piano to see if
> this was the case or not.
>
> Here are my questions - Is it possible that a
> combination of the heat from the Quiet time system and
> perhaps the dehumidifier rods from the Dampp Chaser
> system could have helped cause the crack?  I have been
> wondering since I started installing the DC systems,
> whether the heat generated could do damage?   Also,
> what type of warranty should the rebuilder offer if,
> even after the soundboard is shimmed and the rib
> repaired, the soundboard continues to deteriorate?
> Thanks for  your collective thoughts and experience.
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>