[pianotech] pianotech Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20

[Alan Forsyth]

I have on record an H Matz (Berlin) no. 14220, overstrung and overdampered with a half 3 section frame (open pinblock) which I dated as 1890/1895 judging from the casework and floral decorations on the frame. Although the piano was beautiful to look at (in the eyes of the beholder of course), it was scrapped as it did not respond to either dope or CA. Even though the pins felt tight, the piano wouldn't hold tune. I suspected at the time that the pinblock was probably rocking or tilting forward on account of lack of support from a full frame. Below is the tuning history; the pinblock was treated on 17.07.2001.

15.02.2000, 403.7
03.03.2001, 396.4
18.07.2001, 440.0
29.11.2001, 435.1
29.11.2001, 440.0
06.05.2002, 433.1

My guess is that your piano was built around 1880.
Why the aversion to overdampers; those old German ones of that era are quite good. Learn to tune with Papps wedges and without a muting strip  and they're a piece of cake. As Joe Garrett would sayl "you gotta be a man to tune an overdamper".

Hope this helps.

AF

PS this is not a museum piece; there are still thousands of that type piano still going strong in the olde worlde.

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ronny Boyd 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 5:35 AM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] pianotech Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20


  I need to know the year a Matz & Co Bird Cage (over damper)action piano was built. It's not in the 11th addition of the Pierce Atlas and I don't have the 12Th. addition yet. 
  The serial number is, 10682. The woman who has it, got it from an estate sale and had it refinished at a considerable cost to her. She didn't have a Piano Tech look at it before she bought it as I'm sure he or she would have advised her against buying it. 
  The action frame is made completely out of wood and I was able to make parts for it to get it back in working order. The pin block is shot but she still wants to fix it so I told her I would try to use CA glue on it but no guarantees that it will hold. 
  The piano is drop dead beautiful and should be in a museum! 
  The dampers don't lift straight away from the strings but instead the bottom part lifts first followed by the top part, than just the opposite when they return. I haven't installed it yet but I can see where that will cause problems when playing. 
  She is very interested in finding out the year and any information she can get on it so if anybody has that info I would sure appreciate it.
  This is the first time I have come across an over damper piano and I can see why most techs won't touch them.

  Ron Boyd
  Milwaukee chapter #532 






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