Terry, wow, never heard of that muting technique. No wonder that you feel traumatized :-) I tuned many of these birdcages. When I used to be an aural tuner I tilted the action forward to insert a temperament mute strip or better a mute comb and pushed the action back. After tuning the temperament I removed the strip/comb and tuned the unisons with a single mute. Then going down in octaves (checking the fourth/fifth) and finally going up in octaves. Always using a single mute for the string to be tuned and one mute for the checking string. Never tilting the action for every single key. Now, using an ETD, it´s much easier. I start with A0 and go up to C8. Always using a single mute like Rob described. It´s a little bit tricky to insert the mute because you don´t see very much. But after a while it becomes much easier, no need to worry. Annoying is that you allways have to stoop down to look where to insert the mute. I am not shure wich mute you used, I use these: http://www.meyne-klaviertechnik.de/start.php?go=10details&id=647&code=2&zustand=5&site=0 or these: http://www.meyne-klaviertechnik.de/start.php?go=10details&id=648&code=2&zustand=5&site=0 We see many birdcage pianos here, and usually we recommend not to invest any money aside from tuning. But there are 2 exceptions, and this is commen sense in Germany: Blüthner and Ibach overdampers. Often very well sounding and well damping. BTW: sometimes you can´t tilt the action forward because it´s connected with the key frame. In that case you have to pull the key frame including the action. Gregor ------------------------------------------ piano technician - tuner - dealer Münster, Germany www.weldert.de > From: mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 05:07:41 -0400 > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bluthner birdcage > > Thanks for the pics Rob. I've tuned a few English birdcages - never a > Bluthner. On the English birdcages I loosen the top anchor bolts for > the action (or however the action top is attached to the plate). Then > I simply (or not, as the case often is) tip the action forward to move > my mutes, push the action back, tune the string, tip action forward, > move mute, push action back, tune string, etc. > > A pain in the tushy. I charge by the hour (an elevated hourly rate > that compensates me for the pain and suffering as well as the mental > trauma associated with this type of work). Same thing for square grands. > > Terry Farrell > > > On Sep 9, 2009, at 4:03 AM, Rob McCall wrote: > > > Greetings, > > > > I just wanted to share a first for me. I've heard many on the list > > talk of birdcage actions, overdampers, etc. but I've never > > experienced one... that is, until tonight. > > > > I had an evening appointment with a very important client. She's > > very connected with the local music community and a recommendation > > from her can go a long way towards enhancing my career. So, I > > already felt a slight modicum of pressure. > > > > Anyway, I walk in and I find a beautiful black upright. It's away > > from the windows and not under any vents. It looks well taken care > > of. We chat and I find out this piano used to belong to a famous > > opera singer from Germany. It was purchased by her grandmother and > > eventually shipped from Germany over to the US and finally ends up > > where I find it... So, I open the top lid, check the serial number > > (75256) and find out it was built in 1908. > > > > When I removed the front panel, I'm sure I was screaming > > internally. I'd just laid eyes on what I knew had to be the > > notorious birdcage. It looked like prison bars to me. :-) I won't > > go into too many details, but the piano tuned beautifully, other > > than a few loose tuning pins that are just barely holding on at the > > moment. We agreed to address these later... When I started tuning, > > it was less than 3 cents off and it hadn't been tuned in about a year. > > > > I have a question... How the heck do you guys mute this thing? > > Other than what I ended up doing which was to use a single mute and > > work my way up (from the tenor break), and then down (below the > > break). It seems like it was designed to make it as hard as possible > > to reach anything other than the tuning pin. Any tips or techniques > > will be welcomed with open arms. > > > > Well, the end result was that she ended up happy, the piano sounded > > beautiful, and I needed a drink. :-) > > > > Here's a couple of photos of the Bluthner. It was really in > > excellent condition. Ivory keys were all intact, too. > > > > Regards, > > > > Rob McCall > > Murrieta, CA > > > > <Bluthner.jpg> > > > > <Bluthner 2.jpg> > _________________________________________________________________ http://redirect.gimas.net/?n=M0908axReisen2 Mehr wissen - besser reisen. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20090909/648fd4c8/attachment.htm>
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