Steinway Crown

[David ilvedson]

Dear List,

I am bidding on an Steinway M rebuild, built 1918.  Bearing is about
perfect, whatever that means.  Not too much maybe about a nickel
overall.  My concern is the crown.  It has minimal crown taken
with a thread under the board along the longest rib.  Maybe a
16th" in the middle.  The board is pristine, in that it has no
cracks and I might add it has spent most of its life in
California.  Normally I go by the tone when evaluating a board.
This piano has had the plate sprayed with the strings in.  Also
WD 40 or such has been sprayed on the strings.  The sustain is
OK but not great.  My feeling is the oily residue is the cuplrit
for lack of sustain.  I can play forte and the piano responds.
I know what a flat board sounds like, a blown speaker sort of.
You can push it but it won't respond.  I could change a string
around 52 and clean it up and see what the tone is like but I
would probably have to file the hammer etc.?  Is this the time
to replace the board?  My gut feeling is it will be a nice
piano.

Thanks in advance...

David ilvedson
Pacifica, CA