May Their Practice rooms be filled with 1098's

[Farrell]

Ahhh, the 1098. Sounds like Christopher has not had the pleasure yet. Go
find a new one - the experience will be intensified. I learned to tune on a
1098. Actually, it was a 1098 that first introduced me to piano technology -
i.e. by trying to understand the 40,000 (slight exaggeration - but only
slight) defects in the piano.

The main feature is tight tuning pins, no plate bushings, and a
"V-bar"/pressure bar design that does not easily permit wire to slide on
through. So, you have nearly-Baldwin-tight tuning pins to deal with, along
with wire that will not pass (easily) from the speaking length to the
segment at the tuning pin, and no plate bushings make for Big-Time
flagpoling tuning pins and speaking lengths whose pitch rises or drops in
1/10-step increments. And that is on a 1098 that does not have other
problems.

They get slightly more mellow with age because the pins loosen up, but the
speaking length still does not render well. And if you have one that is 25
years old, it's likely falling apart anyway. I have several that I service
regularly and they don't bother me too much. You get used to them if you see
enough. But they STILL are the among the most challenging pianos to tune.
It's such a pitty though, because there is no good reason for it.

If you like this kind of product badgering, please email me privately.
Thanks for the opportunity to sound off!  :-)

BTW, Christopher, where you from?

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Witmer" <cdwitmer@spamcop.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2000 10:26 PM
Subject: Re: May Their Practice rooms be filled with 1098's


> Okay, as a newbie I don't want to be the only one not in the know:
> what's so bad about a Steinway 1098? Why don't you like servicing them?
> Thanks!
>