Climbing Mt. Everett: A puzzler

[Alan Barnard]

Oh, good show! Well done! Bravo! Huzzah, huzzah! Genius at work!

Here's the story and the some amazing conclusions:

1. I noticed that the keys seemed low against the keyslip, viewed from the front.
2. I could get keya to cycle, sort of, by removing the front rail felt--then I noticed that there were no paper are cardboard punchings on the front rail at all. Odd.  (!)
3. So I, like you, conclude that the center rail is the problem. Quick check--medium thick felt but, again, NO  paper are cardboard punchings on ANY of the center pins. Really Odd (!!)
4. Set up some test notes with .027 added to the center rail in punchings. Those keys now looked "right" against the keyslip.
5. Looked at blow and found it fairly even but at only 1 1/2 inches. Increased blow distance to 1 3/4 inches.
6. And, Ta daaah, I was able to rough-regulate my test notes and they worked beautifully (compared to the "before" picture).

So what the heck happened to this piano? The regulations guy at station 37 must have been off in the break room when this baby rolled by. How did it ever leave the factory? How come the dealer's tech never noticed this lemon? .... oh, wait, I know THAT answer. And, the BIG question, why the blazes did no other tuner in 30+ years even think about the disaster under his/her fingertips, let alone fix it? (Sadly, I think I know that answer to that one, too.)
 
Alan Barnard
Salem, MO




Original message
From: paulrevenkojones at aol.com
To: pianotuner at embarqmail.com, pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 2/16/2008 5:26:48 PM
Subject: Re: Climbing Mt. Everett: A puzzler


No aftertouch. Re-level keys to proper height or quicky fix by shimming the balance rail. This will eliminate bobbling hammers, lack of let-off, and it will increase the overall key travel which will increase the dip to a satisfactory level if the chosen key height is correct. General roughing in of other regulations needs to be done next--letoff now that it's visible, check blow, lost motion, checking distance roughed to around 5/8", etc. 

That's for starters. It sets you up to analyse the action for "what next" and use the aftertouch condition that shows itself to work with the "family of regulations" that most effect aftertouch.  

This is all predicated on what you've said here, Alan. Is there something else we should know?

Paul



-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Barnard <pianotuner at embarqmail.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 4:36 pm
Subject: Climbing Mt. Everett: A puzzler


Piano: 70's Everett console in nice overall condition. One owner. Tuned, over the years, but never any other work done or recommended by the tuners

Problem: Everything wacky. Feels, overall, just lousy when you play. Can't play softly without having notes drop out (not sound), keys feel like they are bottoming out early, many keys bobble, no power. Well, no wonder, notes aren't even letting off, jacks push the hammers to about 1/4" from strings then the key bottoms. Dip, 3/8" or a sixteenth less, very uneven. There were several "sticking" and slow keys that easing at the front rail fixed, but this wasn't the real issue at hand.

Puzzler: This is a great thinking exercise for anyone interested in upright regulation. What would you look for? What problem(s) do you suspect?

Alan Barnard
Salem, MO


Alan Barnard
Salem, MO
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