Rodents

[Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com]

     Keith,

     Have you considered putting up a small sign that says "No rodents
     allowed"? What about a watch cat (one that enjoys playing the piano)?

     Sorry, I've been on the road and haven't had a pianotech fix for a
     week -- I couldn't resist.

     Worst case (for me): Kawai grand.
     Location: Recording studio in Nevada.
     Complaint: Piano won't play.

     This was reported as a warranty matter. I found the problems described
     difficult to believe -- never mind any attempts to diagnose over the
     phone. I flew there to check it out for myself. The piano looked
     normal. However, as reported, it wouldn't play -- at least not in the
     expected manner. The keys would move (too far), in spite of key height
     being too shallow. The hammers would block, and the piano would
     continue to ring. On removing the action, I found a large, neat,
     multi-colored ring of felt and cloth on top of the keysticks.

     Apparently a large (field?) rat needed a place to nest. Every felt
     within range had been removed with surgical precision. For example,
     the dampers appeared okay on casual inspection, but closer scrutiny
     revealed there was no felt actually contacting the strings.

     This piano was *only* six months old. We tried to help as much as
     possible, but this ultimately became an insurance matter rather than
     warranty

     That last sentence may prove helpful -- at least for the results, if
     not the cause of this type of damage.

     I can see how a large rat can gain access to the inside of a piano,
     but am still at a loss to figure out how they can do damage to such
     close-quartered areas.

     Jim Harvey, RPT
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I'm hoping at least one of you subscribers has a solution for a pesky
problem.  Is there any sure fire method, such as poisons, traps, etc., for
keeping mice out of pianos in rural church areas, other than barricading all
of the access places with wire mesh type material?