[CAUT] Tired wippens

[Willem Blees]

Quoting Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>:

> Hi List,
> 
> Here's an old question from a new CAUT:  When does one finally call
> it 
> quits on a set of wippens?  I'm working on an old Steinway M circa
> early 
> thirties with the tilted capstans.  I would doubt that the wippens
> are 
> original, but they are definately OLD, squeeky and has substantial
> amounts 
> of what Steve Brady calls "gradeau" (gunk) on the rep springs at the
> 
> rep-lever contact/rubbing points.  They also are "dented" in on the
> rep 
> lever/knuckle contact point.
> 
> Although it is only in a practice room, we don't have ooodles o dough
> to 
> replace the piano.  We can afford new wippens, or I can "doctor" them
> one 
> more time by cleaning and lubing all those parts which would be a lot
> of 
> invested time...Not much I can do about the dented rep/knuckle spot 
> though....
> 
> What do y'all think?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Paul T. Williams
> Univ. of Nebraska

Paul

If you can get the money to replace them, by all means do so. But you 
will also have to change the capstans. Perhaps that is why Richard 
avoided doing that in the past. The other thing to consider is that if 
you leave the piano alone, perhaps you can get the funds to replace 
the piano. I've got a couple 30's vintage M's and O's that I would 
love to throw out and replace. But I don't have any money, not even 
for new parts, much less for new instruments. I keep hoping that if 
enough students complain, somehow, someone up the line will hear my 
plea.  


Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA