MASON & HAMLIN TRAP SPRINGS:
I have recently found broken the leaf spring in the damper pedal
trapwork of two different Mason & Hamlin grands. Is this common?
These are narrower than the leaf springs available from the supply
houses and narrower than those used in S&S pianos. Does anyone have
experience replacing the narrow springs (which after all seem to
break) with the broader spring? Is the narrow leaf spring available
anywhere? Thanks for any ideas anyone might have.
I have been "under the weather" for a while now, so some of the
following is a little late:
ON DEAF PIANO TUNERS:
Barbara, did you really say that you replaced a deaf piano tuner?
I don't doubt you, because in 1982 I _also_ replaced a deaf piano
tuner, at a large public school system. He had worn hearing aids his
entire life, and he couldn't hear to tune in the top half-octave _at
all_, so he just let the top notes go untuned -- for 23 years! You
can imagine how the pianos sounded that had been purchased during
those twenty three years and had never been tuned in the highest
treble; a number of bridges split out when I finally pulled those
top notes up to pitch.
ON DAMPP-CHASER SYSTEMS:
At the UMKC Conservatory of Music where I do some work, there are
85 D-C systems, 15 or so of which I have installed. They are
considered vital to the piano technology program because the two music
buildings do not have climate control. A few of the faculty members
keep their systems watered, and we have a work-study student
(inherently unreliable) who is supposed to help keep the systems
watered, but I seem to end up doing a lot of the watering.
I received a letter from Bob Mair, D-C pres., correcting me on
what I said here on D-C system cycling. (Boy, these internet
discussions get around.) I appreciated the letter because
it contained very useful information. Humidistats cycle only in
response to humidity changes (not time), so in very low or very high
humidity situations, humidistats might never cycle. This squares
with my experience. The less extreme the building humidity is, then
the more often the humidistat will cycle; this seems to mean that the
short term temperature-induced effects on tuning caused by D-C system
cycling would be greatest when the building humidity is ideal.
Hmmm...
Ruth Brown's D-C article in the current PT Journal has a great
deal of very good information, but is a little short on the specifics
of tweaking DC installations for optimum performance. Perhaps a
follow-up article is in order. Specifically, I would question her
assertion that installations can be configured to keep the seasonal
changes in the tenor down to 1-2 cents. (The short term
temperature-induced effects are greater than this, after all.) There
also seemed to be a suggestion, perhaps it was in Bob Mair's companion
article, that D-C systems can provide better climate control for a
piano than whole building climate control; at least in regard to
large institutional buildings, I don't believe that this can possibly
be true; climate control systems are vital in fine arts buildings.
ON ELECTRONIC HYGROMETERS:
I have seen Alan Crane's hygrometer installed atop his
Accu-Tuner; this would be a useful configuration and probably worth
the extra money that he paid to get this miniature device. I have a
Radio Shack hygrometer installed in the lid of my small Accu-Tuner
case, and still sometimes forget to record the readings. Atop the SAT
would be more convenient. (By the way, I think this has been
mentioned here, but Radio Shack may have discontined their electronic
thermometer/hygrometers.)
As to the accuracy of these devices, I think it is impractical to
send these things in for regular calibration, especially if the
calibration costs as much as a new device. Remember that these
devices are not claimed to be very accurate in the first place. I
say, round off all the readings to the nearest 5%, which should be
sufficient for our purposes. Then, get a second device, either by
buying one or bringing together a lot of the devices of various makes
and models at a PTG meeting. Then when the rounded-off readings don't
agree, opt to buy new or get a calibration.
ON STEINWAY VERTICALS:
I have been fascinated by the discussion of the special hammer
techniques that must be used on Steinway vertical pianos. I tune 25
of the 45" variety at UMKC. I don't do any "bending" of pins, or at
least I don't _think_ I do. I was wondering if anyone would be
interested in a session in Albuquerque, perhaps informal during a
break, where we could demonstrate our techniques for each other.
Surely there will be at least one of these lovely pianos there. Any
takers?
Kent Swafford
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