Cracked Apron

[John Ross]

First thing I do, is tune to pitch.
If the piano can't go to pitch without string breakage, then, none of the other work should be done.
If there is string breakage, then a restring is indicated. For 100 cents down, bring to pitch in one step, then tune again. For an older piano, with rusty strings, I would not overpull.
If you restring, be sure to ream, then use new oversize pins.
If the customer thinks that the cost is too much, then do strings this year, next year do the hammers and dampers.
Mind you they might prefer to do the key job after the strings, as this 'looks' better.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Matthew Todd 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 5:47 AM
  Subject: Cracked Apron


  Hi List,

  I gave my client an estimate for repairs for her upright she bought from a private party for $100.  The repairs include new keytops, bushings (both rails), new hammers and damper felts.  The piano is also 100+ cents flat.  This is the piano with the cracked apron.

  Before I do any work, should I begin with giving it several pitch raises and tunings to see if it'll hold?  The problem with that is that several of the keys do not work right because they need new bushings.  So, should I commence with the keys first and then tune it?  I just thought about the customer paying hundreds of dollars for key work, and then hundreds more for pitch raises and tunings to find the piano won't hold the tune.  But then, how can I tune it well when the keys don't work right.

  On one of the keys, the shank is broken at the butt, so I'll need to repair that first.  And as far as replacing the hammers and damper felt, that could be done very last.

  I was just wondering about whether to do the keys first, or tune it first.  I thought maybe ya'll could tell with a few "rough" pitch raises whether the piano will hold.

  The strings are rusted, and the customer is aware of the risk involved here.

  Thanks,
  Matthew
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