This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi, Unless there has been some change to the legs, Bechstein's normally = have a large wood screw, turned (lathed) as part of the leg - Column or = round. Just twist and they come off Brian ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 8:04 PM Subject: More Advice Sought for 100+ Year Old Bechstein List,=20 The Man of La Mancha show now over (with guitar tuned to my specs) and = the Chamber music series also concluded, I received a phone call today = from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation director with the most laudatory = comments I could have ever imagine from the musicians, one of the = principal sponsors (with whom I had locked horns in the past over issues = about what it *really* takes to prepare a piano for a concert) and = Foundation members themselves who have known the sound of that piano for = decades.=20 I spent a total of 12 hours doing alignment, fine regulation and = voicing plus 3 concert tunings, all for which I was paid my standard = rate (yippee!). I used the knowledge I had gained principally from the = excellent teaching of Bill Garlick RPT and Scott Jones RPT at Steinway = factory training seminars.=20 The "sloppy" feel and limited dynamic range were due to too much = aftertouch and just plain soft hammers. The action had been set up with = a maximally deep keydip of 7/16". I went with that but filled in on it = in final regulation to get uniform aftertouch which I set at the most = minimum amount possible. I set letoff as close as possible and gave it = a very long blow distance. Minimum let off, extra long blow and minimum = aftertouch provided maximum power and dynamic range.=20 I juiced the hammers with my usual keytop and acetone, right on top of = the striking surface and nowhere else. Yipes!!! you say? Well, it = always works for me. The difference is that I use *extremely* light = concentrations and avoid the left end of the striking surface which will = strike the strings when the soft pedal is used. I did a total of 5 = applications and very lightly needled and scratched *between* the = grooves for a maximum effect during soft pedaling.=20 Obviously, the alignment and regulation must be very precise and even = for this to work and that is what takes so much time. The juicing = itself couldn't have taken more than 15 minutes total. These are = techniques I learned at the Steinway factory.=20 Now, it appears that the piano legs are weakening and the Fellowship = wants me to accept a commission to repair them. I usually think of = myself primarily as a tuner who also does some occasional voicing and = regulation work but my rebuilding days ended over 15 years ago. I would = like to take this job, however. Any of the few area rebuilders would = haughtily scoff at this job saying, "I'm too busy" and/or "I only work = on Steinways". That's how I got involved with these people to begin = with, no one else would accept the challenges.=20 They will pay me for my time and they have plenty of young men there = who can help me get the piano on its side so the legs can be worked on. = >From what I gather, there are steel rods in the hollows of these legs = but there has been some wear and tear which has made the rods loose. I = have heard of these rods being fixed by pouring in epoxy. Any thoughts = on this? It has been many years since I worked with epoxy so I don't = even know where to look for the kind I might need. Any experienced = advice would be much appreciated.=20 Bill Bremmer RPT=20 Madison, Wisconsin=20 Click here: -=3Dw w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =3D-=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/bf/cd/df/cf/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC