[pianotech] Bechstein model and date

[David Boyce]

Tuned a Bechstein upright for a new client yesterday, I think a Model 
10, at least it had a 10 cast into the plate.  Straight strung underdamped.

The customer had moved to the area about 7 months ago. The piano is in a 
small dining room with laminate flooring and bare painted walls, nice 
reverberant acoustic, and the piano sound is very powerful in there, nice.
The serial number (which I didn't make a note of) put it at 1905 
according to the Musicians Piano Atlas (but JD, I thin k you said 
numbers for Bechstein in that book are about a decade out?).

Some restoration work had been carried out some decades ago.  I found 
that there were various unpredictable "clicks", quite annoying.  The 
link from keystick to action is by the arrangement of rocker-type 
capstan with two adjusting screws, and a sticker with end slot  that 
pushes onto centre pin in capstan.  By a process of elimination, I think 
that the click is coming from worn bushing cloth in the sticker end 
slots. When I disconnected the sticker of a bad example, and worked the 
action minus key, no noise, when I worked the key minus action, no 
noise. So i think the clicks are from this capstan end slot bushing. 
These bushings look original.  Now, this would be a tricky job to 
rebush, I feel, requiring very thin bushing cloth.

Any practical tips?

Best regards,

David Boyce