Speaking of WD40....

[Joseph Alkana]

Tom, I've been there with a piano that had a sound deadening problem. Turned 
out it was the agraffes/string juncture that actually caused the problem. 
Before you get too carried away with potential soundboard ills, you might 
just clean that termination point realllllll careful. A little goo, which is 
very hard to see, will kill the tone in a big way. By the way, the problem 
and solution were pointed out to me by my betters, Steve Brady.

Joseph Alkana RPT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano at bellsouth.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:49 AM
Subject: Speaking of WD40....


> List,
> Got a real interesting situation with a Steinway B which has been in my 
> care for the past 20 yrs. The piano was a pretty decent B, even though  it 
> was built during prime CBS years. The board had plenty of power and 
> sustain and the piano was kept in good condition . Then one day it all 
> changed for the worse.
> I was about to do the tuning when I noticed the soundboard had a very 
> different amber color to it. Then to my attonishment, there was no 
> sustain...zilch. It was about that time when the owner's husband stepped 
> into the living room and announced that he fixed the piano. "Huhhh?"
> "Yep, sprayed WD40 everywhere". I almost had a heart attack. The wife was 
> a piano teacher and she was sickened with what he had done. From that 
> point it soundboard more like an Aeolian spinet than a Steinway B.
> So fast forward some 15yrs and the owner passes and wils the piano to the 
> local college. Now the college wants the board  repaired as best as 
> possible without replacing it.
> Question: Can WD40 penetrate the finish on the soundboard? Or will it just 
> lay on top can create a residue, which is what I am hoping. My hopes is 
> that ( once) the soundboard is stripped and the thick layer of gooh 
> removed, the soundboard will come back to life.Anyone out there with any 
> experience with this type of problem?
> Just for the record I have isolated the problem to the soundboard. I have 
> replaced several strings and did a pluck test to see if I can gain any 
> sustain and nothing much improves. I've replaced hammers on those same 
> notes seeing if anything can be improve. But it still points back to the 
> thick layer of gooh on the soundboard. Plenty of crown and positive 
> downbearing as well.
> Tom Servinsky
>
>