Ron Nossaman wrote: > > >I agree with Clyde about 150%. Tuning pin bushings are mostly cosmetic. > Ok Ron... grin.. here we go again. I have heard on a number of occasions by a few rebuilders over here that there is something else about these tuning pin bushings that most folks dont "know" about. So I will throw it out to you for comment. The bushings are supposed to reverse the load direction placed on the pinblock, thus allowing for a lousy fit to the plate flange. The idea is, as I understand it, that without the bushings, the pinblock is pulled towards the flange by the strings, whereas with bushings installed the pins actually try to pull the pinblock away from the flange. The bushings are supposed to act as a kind of fulcrum I guess. Indeed a few of these fellows state that the real reason for the bushings is to accomplish exactly this, exactly for the reason of making the pinblock fit to the plate flange less critical. Upon talking to the Steinway Tech / Representative in Oslo, he confirmed this and says that rebuilders who install pin bushings in Steinways are causing big problems for tuning stability in Steinways, as they rely on the pinblock pressing against the plate flange. Now...grin.. I dont really know about this.. but it is what I have heard from folks who are supposed to be in the know. I do have one old Steinway C that I service quite often that had bushings installed at sometime in the past by a local fellow, and I have not noticed anything unstable about it.. quite the opposite really. I find, aside from a lot of false beats, rather easy to tune. So, have you heard this one before and if so what say you to it ? Richard Brekne I.C.P.T.G. N.P.T.F. Associate, PTG Bergen, Norway
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC