[CAUT] Boston Question

[G Cousins]

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:30:32 -0500
From: ptuner1 at gmail.com
To: pianotech at ptg.org
CC: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] Boston Question

List, 
 
I just had a call about a Boston GP193 (7' ish) that's app. 10 yrs. old with a persistent tuning problem in the upper 2-3 octaves. The unisons won't stay in tune. The owner has checked with several technicians & one even told him that the problem was inherent in that age of that piano & that there's no fix for the problem that he'd heard about. Newer versions no longer have the problem, he said. 

 
I've never run across that particular one and have never heard of this (I've tuned very few Bostons). Has anyone else? Does anyone know of a "fix" for this problem, short of a redesign/rebuild? The piano is in a fairly large church and they now are planning on getting rid of it because of this problem. They don't really want to because they love the touch but they use it in a recording studio and it's "driving them crazy"! 

 
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. 
 
Avery Todd, RPT
Houston, TX



Avery,
Won't stay in tune sounds interesting.(pardon the pun)   I have not had issue with the 193's I've been servicing.

Many questions first...

Is it the entire section?  Certain notes (and octaves) Which of the
three strings? Have you checked torques? Positive & Negative? 
etc.etc.  Are the plate bolts snugged? Is the temp/humidity stable?
Bridge, board, etc ok? I would do some good diagnostics on this
instrument first to eliminate any obvious issues. You may even try to
contact the techs who provided the "inherent" comment.  When did this
develop?  Year 1,2,3,4,5 etc.  Is it different (torque-wise) when you tune in these octaves when compared with the rest of the piano?



If the answers still do not provide a logical cause/effect and resolve then I suggest you contact NY.
David Kirkland is a wealth of background and if anyone has research
knowledge in this area he would be the one. He would be asking similar
questions (like above) before he could come up with an answer.


dkirkland at steinway.com
Hope this helps.

Gerry C

West Chester University
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