Seeking clarification, and some questions:
Was the 'trade' temporary? Did you lend a piano of yours while you took her piano in to work on?
Is there a reason why you wouldn't have inspected (and tightened) plate bolts/screws at the time(s) you were tuning?
My next question(s) would have invoked Ron's usual ire, in that they don't provide any useful first-hand knowledge, but I will continue to occasionally tempt the fates, with the same trepidation with which I would have, were he still among us:
- Could the mass and design of plates make a difference with regard to the effect of their being either firmly or erratically mated to rim?
- What movement is being permitted by a plate that has one or more screws that might be 1/4 of a turn loose?
Having gone this far, I'm recalling that Del has recently published a series of articles about plates. I can't stop to look right now, but, if no one posts this information before, I'll follow up when I can.
My reason for always checking plate bolts is quite self serving, and stupid. I feel like I have to justify carrying around the added weight of the assorted sockets, extension, 3/8" drive breaker bar handle. Note - I tried the universal spring-loaded socket. While I liked the idea, it didn't work well, and would often get stuck.
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David Skolnik
Hastings-on-Hudson NY
914-231-7565
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2017 23:12
From: Willem Blees
Subject: tight plate screws
Several month ago I reported on how by tightening a few rim screws on a 5 year old grand piano, it solved a stability problem. A brief history, for the past 5 years another tuner just couldn't keep the middle 2 octaves in tune, especially d4 - c5. When I was asked to tune the piano, I had a hell of a time getting that part of the piano in tune, and stay in tune even as I was working on it. I wound up taking the piano in trade for one of my rebuilt Steinways, so one of the first things I did when I got the piano, was tighten the rim screws. There were about 4 screws in the bend of the rim that all turned about a quarter turn. I tuned the piano and noticed right away that it responded much better.
Fast forward 6 months, and I just tuned the piano in the customer's home. She lives in a very exclusive area of Hawaii, down 50 steps next to the ocean. After 6 months, and that move, the piano was on pitch and just barely out of tune.
What's interesting is that after I posted my findings 6 months ago, several prominent technicians, including our recently departed friend, Ron, argued that just tightening rim screws shouldn't make a difference in tuning stability. That was the only thing I did different to the piano. If it wasn't the tightening of the rim screws that made the difference, I want to ask what else could it be? But I'm sticking to my story.
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Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
Mililani, HI 96789
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