In a message dated 2/11/00 10:02:33 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Mark Potter (bases-loaded@juno.com) writes: << 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! The reason it might not be dampening is because the action is not pushed towards the strings far enough. If this is a typical birdcage, the action is held in place by those two wood pieces that turn. Over the years, they will become thinner, and the action is not pushed far enough forward. Try putting a shim of some sorts, (a business card will do), in between the piece of wood that turns and the action, and see if that does the job. 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. Yes, lean the action back, and strip mute the whole thing. You can push the strip mute low enough so it won't interfere with the dampers. Once you have tuned the middle strings, lean the action back and remute. After doing the open strings. remove the strip mute and finish the unisons. It is no great surprise to me that this design went out of favor 100 years ago! I wish people would take our recommendations and throw these things away, or make cabinets out of them. I have never run accross a birdcage that was worth tuning. On the other hand, one of our chapter members actually rebuilt one and it came out nice. But the cost of doing the work far exceeded what he sold it for. Willem Blees
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