Bose & C & A questions

[Avery Todd]

List,

   Well, school has finally started again after the ice storm we had here
for a couple of days. The residential streets weren't bad at all, but they
closed a lot of the toll roads/freeway sections so most all the schools in
the Houston area were closed Monday & Tuesday.
   I've just finished restringing a teacher's Bosendorfer and prepping a
C & A grand for our International Piano Festival this weekend (worked until
almost 1 AM last night. Would much rather have been on IRC. :-) ) Now, some
questions pertaining to these two jobs:

   1. For anyone who has restrung a Bosendorfer (all single tie strings),
have you noticed it being harder to stabilize the new strings than on a
"traditionally strung" type of piano? Comments? (BTW, I really am glad the
school let me spend the money to buy the pre-looped strings from
Bosendorfer.
It makes for a really neat and professional-looking job. Except for the 3
(18-1/2 gauge) strings they shorted me. :-) Even those turned out pretty
good though, for me, and they're under the bass strings so no one can
 really see them.) And we have 10 more of them!!

   2. In relation to the Bose, file this away in the back of your mind if
you ever have to do that job. Don't, repeat don't, try to remove all the
 strings with just your hands. Especially if you're not wearing gloves.
(Ask me how I know.) About halfway through, I discovered that the tuning
pin coil lifter makes a dandy way to remove the strings from the hitch
pins. These were very snug on the pin and difficult to remove. For a couple
of
days I felt like a walking advertisement for Bandaids. :-)

   3. Does anyone know of any particular reason, other than cosmetic, why
Bosendorfer uses hitch pin punchings? I went ahead and used up the last of
my supply from years ago and they look really nice. I don't normally like
to use them in this type of climate because I feel the felt could absorb
moisture and contribute to premature rusting around the hitch pins.

   3. On the C & A piano, the knuckle buckskin is a little loose around the
core, resulting in some extra friction and some complaining about it being
a little heavy feeling. Am I correct in thinking the loose buckskin could
contribute to a heavy feeling in the action? I don't suppose anyone knows
of a "quick fix" for this? There just isn't time to tighten and reglue or
replace the knuckles.

   4. Some tight pinning is also contributing to the heaviness but it isn't
REALLY tight and I don't think time will permit me to repin and then redo
any regulation that changes. Any comments on how much the regulation might
change if it were repinned? My thoughts are jack height in relation to the
knuckle, hammer line and repetition adjustment.  I'm also concerned about
the key leading, if the pinning was tight when originally leaded.

   Thanks for any ideas you can pass on my way.

Avery

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
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