[pianotech] customers

[Andrew Anderson]

Quite likely the dampers have accumulated crud and are strumming the  
strings when the pedal is activated.  Add compacted felt and/or weak  
damper springs or a pedal too tight that dampers can't fully seat and  
you have a problem.

This sounds like a case where new damper felt will be needed and  
possibly new damper springs.  Adjusting the pedal loose may improve  
overall damping effectiveness but if the dampers have compacted so  
much and are cruddy so that they are strumming on and off of the  
strings, there will be no shortcuts.  Question, is the instrument  
worth the effort or would he be better off upgrading?  If he has the  
potential budget for an upgrade, repairs will only be an expensive  
bandage on the way to an upgrade if his expectations are not  
realistic.   Of-course you would get the blame for prolonging the  
misery.

Andrew Anderson

On Feb 24, 2010, at 8:43 PM, wimblees at aol.com wrote:

>
> The problem with this Wurlitzer is that when the sustain pedal is  
> depressed the dampers ring more than normal. When he depressed the  
> pedal it makes a sort of how can I describe it almost a harp sound?
> Marshall
>
> The first sentence doesn't make sense. When the sustain pedal is  
> down, all the notes ring on. How can they "ring more than normal?" A  
> harp sound, to me, means soft and angelic. What is he expecting the  
> piano to sound like with the pedal down?
>
>
> I tried adjusting the spoons on the notes that I heard when the  
> sustain pedal was depressed, notes meaning the tones I recognized. I  
> heard an f that was pronounced.
>
> You're going to have to describe this also. Before you adjust  
> spoons, make sure all the dampers pull away from the strings at the  
> same time when the damper rod activates them. If you don't to that  
> first, then adjusting spoons will be a nightmare.
> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
> Piano Tuner/Technician
> 94-505 Kealakaa Str.
> Mililani, Oahu, HI  96789
> 808-349-2943
> www.Bleespiano.com
> Author of:
> The Business of Piano Tuning
> available from Potter Press
> www.pianotuning.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marshall Gisondi <pianotune05 at hotmail.com>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Sent: Wed, Feb 24, 2010 4:07 pm
> Subject: [pianotech] customers
>
> Hi Everyone,
> I wanted to know if any of you out there ever went to work on a  
> piano only to have a customer e-mail or call in my cae e-mail to say  
> the problem is stil there and yet another problem is present.
>
> The problem with this Wurlitzer is that when the sustain pedal is  
> depressed the dampers ring more than normal. When he depressed the  
> pedal it makes a sort of how can I describe it almost a harp sound?   
> I tried adjusting the spoons on the notes that I heard when the  
> sustain pedal was depressed, notes meaning the tones I recognized. I  
> heard an f that was pronounced.  Now he says that a low G has a  
> metalic sound after I tuned the piano, not sure what that means  
> unless a unison went out.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this mess.
>
> For some reason I'm feeling really depressed about this entire  
> situation.  I had great training.  What's my problem?
> Marshall
>
>
> Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
> Marshall's Piano Service
> pianotune05 at hotmail.com
> 215-510-9400
> Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org 
>  Vancouver, WA
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign  
> up now. =

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