This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Ran into an interesting piano with many small challenges that turned a new-customer tuning call into an all day affair. Care to take the quiz? I'll describe specific little problems, you analyze (or guess) what the fix was. I actually like finding these quirky little problems to diagnose and fix ... just not so durned many of them on one call! The piano: A Carl Ronish 85-note upright of unknown age, a little bigger than a Hamilton studio, smaller than a Baldwin 6000. Genuine ivories. Generally in not-so-bad condition except the pinblock was VERY weak (no more than 20-25 in. lbs.). There are no pin collars and the plate openings are BARELY larger than the pins (#1's, I think). Someone already attempted to fix that problem by tapping in the pins so I laid 'er over and pumped in the CA until it wouldn't take any more. Pins now measure 30 to 80 in. lbs. The piano has an ordinary-looking dowell-capstans action. Blow is about two inches, primarily due to hammer wear. It needs new hammers or regulation, at least, but that is not directly the cause of these woes .... Problem 1: Jack not resetting on one key. Removed a lot of slop (lost motion) but that didn't fix it. Centers NOT sluggish, rail bushings not binding, rail pin not turned, letoff about right. Problem 2: One key played just great unless you played it while holding down it's immediate neighbor, then both locked up and wouldn't reset. Hammers and wooden action parts are NOT binding, not even touching. Problems 3 & 4: Several keys where low despite proper adjustment of whippen height (capstans), etc. This piano has a thick wooden upstop rail (keystrip? prop rail?), separate from the lid & nameboard assembly. When I removed this, the keys all fell beautifully level--after I adjusted a few capstans so the hammers actually rested on the rest rail. There were two reasons why the rail made a few hammers two low: One involved a missing part, the other was due to a little careless cosmetic work by someone. Problem 5: A few notes (randomly located) went "thunk" when played and had a very short sustain. Problem 6: One note played perfectly well unless you struck it six or seven times and then it would not play at all. A small adjustment with my thumb and forefinger put everything right ... until you played the note a few times and it locked up again. Etc. etc. ... Problem 7: Couple of strings were very hard to tune: You'd bring them up to pitch, with difficulty, but have trouble keeping them there even though pin torque is 60 in. lbs. or better. There is a clue in the piano description. Problem 8: One note sounded like the damper wasn't lifting at all (it was) and two of its neighbors made buzzing, rattling sounds when played. I'll post my findings tomorrow night. And one more challenge: What era do you think this piano is from? Clues: Ivory. Action has a number on it (118397) that might be the piano serial (I could find no other numbers) and was stamped with a company name (not Ronish) and the city name Stutgart. Molded medallion on the plate has these words around its edge: hof, piano, forte, fabrik, and a couple that were hard to read. Two pedals. Case is beautiful burled wood, possibly walnut. It is made of gentle curves, not squared parts. Even the upper & lower panels have a gentle curve built in. Customer has been given the impression that it is an "antique," I have a different opinion. Whatayathink? Maybe somebody with more European piano experience can help us, here. Alan R. Barnard Salem, MO --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.592 / Virus Database: 375 - Release Date: 2/18/2004 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/81/0d/ec/23/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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