birdcage pitch?

[Gregor _]

It´s not so seldom that I see pianos a minor third flat. Usualy the reason is that they were not tuned for 40 years. I bought such a piano last year and tuned it in several passes up to 440 and it turned out to be a very very nice piano (from 1900 or so) with a really great sound (139 cm high) and 440 Hz worked very well. But I was not brave enough to tune it on 440 first, so first I tuned it between 1 and 2 half tones flat and went on to 440. I think it took me 6 or 7 passes that day. That was in November. Last week I sold it and it was still only 2 cents flat. The reason for beeing so flat: it stood on a floor heating for 35 years and the seller had it not let tuned since then. 
 
In general I don´t do such extreme pitch raises up to 440 Hz in field service. I do it only if the piano is in my ownership. Usualy it´s not a problem to communicate that problem to the customer: Birdcage, some kind of rotten and a third flat? Go and buy a decent piano or accept the status quo. Can´t afford a decent piano? Okay, bad luck and I see the problem, but I am only the messenger.
 
Concerning the Lindner Irish plastic pianos: don´t even try to service or tune them. These "pianos" are the most worse case scenarios I encountered in my life as piano tuner. And I saw a lot of strange things in that business.
 
Gregor


Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:40:05 -0700From: tcole at cruzio.comTo: pianotech at ptg.orgSubject: Re: birdcage pitch?
Holly -Some questions come to mind. Why is this piano three half steps flat? Is the pin block delaminating and leaning forward. Are the tuning pins starting to point downward instead of up? Is there some structural problem with the bridge or plate? Is the piano uniformly flat or just one area?Maybe it's none of the above, but a thorough inspection should be done before doing any tuning.Tom Coleholly quigley wrote:
I've had the pleasure (har) of dealing with my first birdcage piano. It was, at my first visit, kid you not, a minor third flat. Apparently they bought it from a used piano dealer in Ireland, who said they "refurbished" it (another har). For one thing, the hammers were blocking against the dampers - ? After some inspecting and problem solving, I just shimmed the damper rail to raise the damper line up, and that at least got it playing. The pin block feels viable. The plate sure is weird, and it's straight-strung, not cross-strung. My only real question is what pitch are birdcage pianos usually tuned to? Is A440 safe, or should I keep it lower (although obviously not a friggin minor third lower)?Unfortunately I can't find the piece of paper I wrote the piano's info on right at the moment. However, if it's indeed Irish, it'll be the second Irish piano I've encountered to much frustration and chagrin. The first one was an almost entirely plastic action. No, seriously. Including the keys, including the capstans, screws, everything. Bizarre. Maybe they should stick to beer over there... -Holly Quigley.
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