Yamaha GH1

[Brian Trout]

Hi Stan,

You got a tough one.

What to do?

Honestly, I think you've done the best thing by just informing your customer
about the situation.  You've also given her a number of options to choose
from.

I can't help but think that if she's happy with what she's got, why rock the
boat.  If you try a repair or sorts and it comes out sounding worse, it
won't exactly make you the hero of the day.

She will likely play it like it is until it starts to buzz or rattle or
develop some nasty dead or obnoxious spots in the scale, at which time
she'll probably want to explore other options.

Also, if there are glue joints failing at the rib / soundboard joint and at
the bridge / soundboard joint, how many other joints are also likely to fail
over the next couple of years?  Soundboard to inner rim?  Pinblock
delamination?  Rib / Soundboard joints not at #s 2 & 3?  Even bridge cap to
bridge body glue joint failure wouldn't be a surprise!?

I'm personally leaning away from #2.  Sort of an "Either do it right, or
don't do it at all" kind of feeling.

Good luck,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net

> Patient: Yamaha GH1, 14 yrs old.
>
> Condition: Treble bridge delaminating from soundboard and soundboard
> delaminating from rib #2 & 3 (approx. C5 - G6).  Downbearing barely
> detectable at all points along bridges.
>
> Symptoms: None really!  Tone is relatively even throughout the scale,
> with good sustain.  No dead spots, buzzes or rattles.
>
> I presented the client with the following options:
>
> 1. Do nothing.  She enjoys the piano and apart from the obvious untoward
> appearance, the piano sounds pretty much the way a GH1 normally sounds.
>
> 2. Reduce tension across the scale and remove top 3 octaves of strings,
> use various wedging, clamping, screwing, gluing and or sorcery
> techniques to reunite the delaminated portions of
> bridge/soundboard/ribs.  The worry here is that this may result in a net
> reduction in the already barely detectable downbearing.
>
> 3. Put newfound soundboard replacement savvy (re: Brandon
> University/Bolduc soundboard seminar) into practice and slide a new
> board into place.
>
> Anyone ever see this condition on a Yamaha piano before?  Anything to
> add to the above options?
>
> Best regards to all!
>
> Stan Kroeker
> Registered Piano Technician
>