birdcages

bases-loaded@juno.com bases-loaded@juno.com
Fri, 11 Feb 2000 16:25:40 -0500


Hello -

After having the good fortune to have not run into a birdcage action in
app. 10 years, I had the extreme misfortune to run into 2 of them this
week.  I have basically two questions, although "what were they
thinking?" also comes to mind.

1.  Do these actions ever damp well?  In both instances, the damper felt
seemed soft enough, and was regulated properly, but the pianos sounded as
if someone forgot to install dampers!

2.  What is the most sane way to tune these critters?  I actually had to
lean the actions back and pluck strings in the center section, as it was
impossible to get mutes in there.  Do you lean it back and strip mute the
whole thing?  I can't imagine a process that isn't unwieldy...

It is no great surprise to me that this design went out of favor 100
years ago!

Mark Potter
bases-loaded@juno.com     


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