Steinway model Z weak bass

[Clark Sprague]

I did a Kohler and Campbell spinet before Christmas that looked like the 
same thing.  The bridge just fell off the apron, and looking at the bottom, 
looked like there was no glue ever on it.  There was a finishing line on the 
apron, but no evidence of glue.  The whole thing started when I was 
estimating an epoxy repair of the bridge split along the pin lines.  Epoxy 
and screws, and the bass actually sounds good for a spinet.
Clark A. Sprague, RPT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fenton Murray" <fmurray at cruzio.com>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 12:49 AM
Subject: Re: Steinway model Z weak bass


>I serviced an Acrosonic a couple years ago that had a completely dead bass. 
>Like an electric guitar not plugged in. I was able to move the bridge 
>around on it's apron a little confirming a bad glue joint. After loosening 
>the strings the bridge came off in my hands, not a drop of glue was ever 
>applied to the joint. After gluing and screwing everything was fine. The 
>piano must have sounded like that from the time it was new.
> Fenton
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 2:15 PM
> Subject: Re: Steinway model Z weak bass
>
>
>>
>>> Ron N, I enjoyed your comments about not being fooled, by an end-hinged 
>>> top lid, into thinking it's a grand!.  I have a customer with a Feurich 
>>> upright which also has an end-hinged lid, but instead of a removable 
>>> hinge-pin, it has two very solid brass hinges with brass dowels which 
>>> plop and slide beautifully into bushed holes in the side panel. Lovely 
>>> piano, reeks quality and craftsmanship.
>>
>> I don't have any uprights, but I do service one Feurich grand. Poor 
>> string rendering has just about rendered it untunable, but it's a 
>> terrifically built piano. Lid's hinged on the side too... <G>
>>
>> About your Steinway bass bridge, check bearing and crown there, bridge 
>> apron joints, perimeter joint, and the possibility of anything being 
>> wedged between the soundboard and plate. Then consider the strings. The 
>> usual stuff. Try to inspect and if possible test every potential cause. I 
>> was asked by a dealer years back to look at a piano they had taken in on 
>> trade. The bass was dead, but they were sure it would be a simple fix. I 
>> looked it over and didn't find anything to account for it, so we ordered 
>> a couple of strings as a test. When installed, the new strings were  as 
>> dead sounding as the rest, which surprised all of us. They had meanwhile 
>> found someone to unload the piano on, so I never did get to chase down 
>> what the actual problem was. Frustrating.
>>
>> Ron N
>>
>>