Hi Mark. And thanks for the suggestion. Between you and Susan I must do something with this piano with all of the pointers you've given me. You're very right, this is a special case piano and a very nice family that I'd like to help them. Not everything is "Green Back Dollar Bills" as the old blues song goes. Besides, I'll have learned something new afterwards that I won't have to ask for help on the next one that comes up. Thanks again and my regards, Gordon On 23 May 2002 at 15:16, bases-loaded@juno.com wrote: > Gordon - > > Why not sell them a set of bridles for $10, take 5 minutes and show them > how to put them on. If they live that close, let them borrow your bridle > tool for an hour so they can install them without damaging something. > > Also, since money is THAT tight, skip problems in the upper and lower > octaves for NOW and get the rest of the piano working to some level of > acceptance, even if slightly below what you consider your standard. A > little explanation of the approach will be helpful so that there is > reasonable expectations. > > I think that special circumstances call for special perspectives, and in > THIS case, I would argue that "some" piano is likely better than none.... > > Mark Potter > bases-loaded@juno.com > > On Thu, 23 May 2002 12:50:59 -0500 "Gordon Holley" > <gholley@hi-techhousing.com> writes: > > Thanks for the suggestions Susan, however. I believe with this > > family, right now - 2002, that at most the charge for a tuning might > > > > have been acceptable, but the $150 to $200 would probably be out of > > > > the question. I did give some consideration to finding a way to do > > > > just the "bare necessities" for now, and this discussion with your > > suggestions was what I was hoping would come out of my little story > > > > about this piano. The father had taken a very light gauge wire and > > attempted to make a connection, from the top of the bridle wire, > > back > > through the bridle strap hole in the catcher and tied it off there. > > > > Very crude, but he thought this would help. Before putting my mind > > > > in gear I said "boy someone has messed with this" while pointing at > > > > one of the many examples with my pencil, and he remarked very > > quietly, "ya, I did that, not so good ha?". Next time I'll be a > > little more careful with that kind of comment. > > I'm considering these alternatives, one being using eigher the cork > > > > tipped or spring clip bridal strap. I fear, without touching the > > straps that are still in place, that many are just waiting to fall > > off with the slighest tug. > > I believe I'll go back and take a quick inventory of what parts I'd > > > > need to do the "bare necessities" now, hammer heads and shanks, > > not file the hammers, and not mark the parts up, add a charge for > > tuning at pitch and see if that would be more appealing. > > I can spit from my house to their's so there's no travel involved. > > I'll try and talk with them over the holiday weekend and up-date you > > > > next week. I do appreciate your interest and sugggestions. > > Regards, Gordon > > On 23 May 2002 at 9:52, Susan Kline wrote: > > > > > Gordon, instead of letting that Packard sit derelict till it > > > is hauled to the landfill, in the meantime doing the little > > > girl no good at all, why not take an intermediate approach? > > > Instead of "doing it all the right way", why not just get > > > it playing? Tune it at pitch, replace the broken bridle > > > tapes but leave the rest for now, replace the broken hammer > > > shanks, get the notes working, ignore the chipped ivories > > > but slap on some recycled ivories for the missing > > > ones (CA glue has certainly helped that work!) > > > > > > For me, the trouble with Packards is likely to be failing > > > butt plates (a nuisance ...) or broken tongues (much worse.) > > > I hate repair clips, but sometimes they are the only practical > > > answer I've found. > > > > > > The broken shanks are in the top section? This would provide > > > you with an opportunity for tonal research, which I took with > > > a Packard I worked on. In the high treble, check out the hammer > > > shanks -- you will probably find that they are shaved narrow, > > > not on the sides like in grands, but on the backs. This > > > makes the shank flex more, and improves the tone in the high > > > treble, as I found out. Someone had replaced one of these > > > with a full round shank, and the tone on that note was > > > noticeably worse than its neighbors. (Also the fitting was klutzy > > ...) > > > So I did it over, and sanded the back of the shank to match > > > the others -- and the tone sprang back to life! It was fun. > > > > > > Do you think you could do this basic "make it play" work for > > > $150 or $200? Maybe they could manage that -- you'd have saved > > > that Packard for someone to fully restore 50 years from now, > > > and the family would benefit now. So often "the best" drives > > > out "the good", and one is left with nothing but dust and ashes. > > > If they could keep and use the piano for a few years now, they > > > might gradually come up with more cash to deal with some of > > > the rest later on, piecemeal. > > > > > > (Just my take on it ... there are a limited number of Packard > > > uprights in the world, and I don't like seeing that number > > decline > > > because of temporary difficulties.) > > > > > > Susan > > > > > > At 10:35 AM 5/23/2002 -0500, you wrote: > > > >Hello Susan and List. I was asked by a neighbor with 4 children, > > one > > > >girl 9 years old that had been taking piano lessons, to look at > > their > > > >old piano that wasn't playing right and needed some work. It > > turned > > > >out to be a Packard, 1912, with many ailements. Hammers needed > > to be > > > >filed, a couple broken shanks, a few keys not playable but did > > have > > > >the hammers and shanks, many, many bridal straps gone or broken, > > and > > > >most key top front edges were chipped with a few key tops > > completely > > > >gone. The case wasn't that bad, it varied from 25 cents flat to > > 5 > > > >cents sharp. No new strings or replacement parts that I could > > find. > > > >Did not check the sound board for cracks. Father asked what it > > would > > > >take to get it into playing condition as the little girl stood > > there > > > >listening to the conversation. She said she had stopped taking > > > >lessons some time back and that was understandable. I've know > > the > > > >family for some 10 years and they just seem to squeek by, now > > with a > > > >son graduating from high school wanting to go to college. He > > plays > > > >the drums and the other kids seem to have a little musical > > talent > > > >also. The father and I talked quietly, while mother and the > > children > > > >stood around. As I verbally walked through the estimated costs > > to > > > >rework what was apparent without "digging" further, I reached > > the > > > >$500 mark and the father said "well times are a little strained > > right > > > >now so I believe we'll wait until later". Boy, the look of > > > >disappointment on the little girls face was enough to really tug > > on > > > >the ole heart. He said to wrap up our conversation, "well, if > > and > > > >when we every move from here, we'll just leave the piano with > > the > > > >house". This is the second time that I've visited a home with an > > old > > > >upright that the owner just didn't have the money to "do it > > right". > > > >With grandfathers like me with 7 grown children and 14 > > grandchildren, > > > >who many are very musically gifted (taking after grampa) there > > are > > > >times I wished I had a trust fund I could dip into and help some > > of > > > >these "Old Upright Families". Have a great holiday weekend. > > Best > > > >regards, Gordon Holley, Goshen, Indiana. > > > > > > > >On 22 May 2002 at 12:42, Susan Kline wrote: > > > > > <snip> > > > > > Some of my other upright favorites are Packard, > > > > > >
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