Discussion Posts

Edited - downsized and consolidated into previous post. Thanks.

If detensioning strings to try something, you could also try turning an agraffe counter-clockwise first, because if the agraffe moves freely in that direction, that too gives feedback without risking any additional crush to the agraffe. As far as the ...

I would like to take this discussion in a slightly different but validly related direction. One aspect of a stronger repetition spring is the problem of poor backchecking and double striking that might be an issue with stronger springs (one sales manager ...

That's an interesting idea, and possibly more doable than what he was proposing. He's checking out that info you sent now. Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH (603) 686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com - ...

The cost of rebuilding/repairing for yourself is the same as for a customer. At least it should, otherwise why bother doing a rebuild if you can't make any money from it. In other words, how much would you charge a customer to level a s and wet ...

I spoke with the rep from JD Grant at the convention, and he said that there are no tariffs on the strings. You just need to estimate the monetary value of them when you ship anything to them for replication. ------------------------------ Mary Brocious ...

I saw the gizmo on his website a week or so ago. Don't know that is available just yet, but it sounds like they are going to make a batch now that their prototype is where they want it. Yeah, I don't know why a repetition lever post would behave so ...

Very strange that a rep post bushing would be different. I see no design differences that would explain it. Thanks for posting about Esmonde-White's bushing gizmo. I don't see it on his website. Is it available? Regards, Fred Sturm fssturm@gmail.com ...

Before replacing the agraffe, you can try to tap the string sideways. That will sometimes clear a buzzing agraffe. Perhaps the softer brass material has had a small channel machined by the string, and the string is vibrating against the side of that ...

Hi Fred, You asked if pinning the repetition lever post is different from pinning hammer centers or wippen flange centers. Sadly, I would have to say yes. I have consistently noticed this, although I still do not know why it is. Ever since you first ...

Alan, Is there any reason to suppose that pinning the repetition post is any different from any other bushing? Unless the spring is engaged, I can see none. Try the same thing with a hammer shank center, a wippen flange. See what the results are. ...

Thanks, Wim. This is not for a customer. Pianos that I own and will be selling. Strictly on an as-needed basis. College age with no previous manual experience that I know of. ------------------------------ Stewart Freedman, RPT Freedman Piano Service ...

Hi Kathy, I, too, I have experienced the overnight drop in repetition lever pinning friction, without the spring engaged, and across several different brands of wippens. Even posted about it, wondering why. (Too bad I don't eat insects, because all ...

Stewart There are a lot of variables on this. The age, other experience, whether piano related or not, part time or full time, and whatever you're comfortable paying. I would suggest that instead of an hourly rate, you pay a small ...

Kathy, I have heard many others relate the same experience of friction drop off. My guess is that it is directly related to the spring: the lever is constantly being pressed in one direction, compressing the bushing cloth. The flip side of this is ...

I'm trying to come up with a fair rate to pay someone who has no piano tech experience. I'd be training them on technical work and general shop stuff like cleaning strings, repinning parts, leveling keys. I know this would vary on where you live but I'd ...

I agree with what Fred said. I too had a lot of Steinways experiencing the “lockup” during those years. I also discovered during experimentation that if I just laid a piece of felt across the tops of all the sugarloaf cushions, the problem was solved. ...

I'm going to offer some background material on this subject, specifically related to the high friction pinning of repetition levers and resultant higher tension springs. A certain kind of Steinway repetition problem plagued me and many others during ...

Robert Is that a #1 size tip?

I use a thin-walled extension tip with a square male end that fits into any star tip. I don't need it very often and it's a lot easier than changing tips. Bob Anderson Tucson, AZ.

I remember in the movie that 1900 couldn't play on an infinite keyboard. He needed the limits of 88 keys to make infinite music. ------------------------------ Larry Messerly, RPT Bringing Harmony to Homes www.lacrossepianotuning.com ljmesserly@gmail.com ...

Blaine, First off, I raise my glass to your provocativity! When first considering any issue, I try to start out with unbridled creative thinking, completely disregarding physical, logistical or financial practicality. If those ideas cannot be realized ...

Well, for non-human creatures, how about just having a creature with many strong, fast moving, extremely well-controlled fingers with pads on the ends similar to compressed felt? ------------------------------ Ed Sutton ed440@me.com (980) 254-7413 ...

It's from 1917 but was rebuilt in 2016 by a gentleman in Virginia. I didn't catch his name. ------------------------------ Benjamin Sanchez, RPT (256) 947-9999 www.professional-piano-services.com www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com www.PianoCraftTechnicalSchool.com ...

This is really an entertaining question. Something to consider is "what constraints does this non-human musician (and instrument designer) have to work with?" In other words, what compromises would they have to make in building an instrument like a ...

Mr. Sanchez, How old is the instrument? ------------------------------ Karl Roeder Pompano Beach FL ------------------------------

Benjamin, you might also take a look at the string level/hammer mating. This is often the cause of noises that mask themselves as termination issues. -- Dave Conte, RPT, CCT Owner, Rocky Top Piano Knoxville, TN 817-307-5656 dave@daveconte.com ...

Loosen the strings of that unison and place a piece of bushing cloth on the counterbearing felt/cloth, under the strings. Try tightening the agraffe (turning clockwise). If you find that you can easily turn it past its faced-off position, its looseness ...

Ed, My question had several reasons for asking. I wondered have we exhausted the potential of our chosen instument? Looking over the last 200 years there have been quite a niumber of experimental innovations, many of which went nowhere, but many are ...

Hi Fred, Ah, YES, the late, great Darrell Fandrich! Among his many monumental accomplishments, he is the man who incorporated the repetition spring into upright piano actions. In fact, it was a recent visit to Oliver Esmonde-White, who has taken the ...

Steve, On the L, very high pitched and relatively faint, but annoying. I would say there was no detectable pitch change from note to note. AND it would appear and disappear randomly among notes. Weird... Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ ...

Hi Alan, Darrel Fandrich was a big believer in upweight as a very key factor, making sure it was at least 15 grams, preferably 20. He described this along the lines of "feeling the keys under the fingers." In a situation with a pianist "the action ...

Chances are it's a bad agraffe. The brass is probably worn, especially if they weren't replaced in the past. Replace the offenders and your troubles will be over. Fortunately it's not in the wound string section. Best wishes! Gene Taets, R.P.T.

Hi, Rex, I wound up having to (very carefully) grind down a full-sized tip. Maybe Jahn carries such things these days. Kind regards. Horace

I need to get a #1 size thin wall tuning tip and haven't found anyone that sells them. Does anyone know where I can get one? ------------------------------ Rex Roseman Roseman Piano Tuning Copley, OH 330-289-2948 -------------------------- ...

Peter, I'm curious, can you ascribe a pitch or frequency range to the buzzes? And do they change proportionally from note to note? ------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal RPT Honolulu HI (808) 521-7129 ------------------------------

Fred, Thank you pointing out the distinction to be made between quicker key return and faster repetition. Seems like the question I posed does not have a simple answer and, at this time, maybe not even a conclusive one. And of course, swift repetition ...

Well...I know a 1981 B that had a buzzy note in that general area for a long time. Could never figure out the "source". Then the agraffe finally broke. After replacing it...no more buzz. I have a 1970 L in the shop that had numerous annoying buzzes ...

Originally from 1917 but rebuilt in 2016 by a gentleman in Virginia. I didn't catch his name. ------------------------------ Benjamin Sanchez, RPT (256) 947-9999 www.professional-piano-services.com www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com www.PianoCraftTechnicalSchool.com ...

Testing a bit, I'd say that adding this to my claviharp isn't very useful. It would make the lower octaves sound higher, but wouldn't work very well on the higher octaves, so the same effect can be gotten by just playing an octave higher. But on a piano, ...

Ben, What year is this M? Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH (603) 686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

You might try moving to a different part of the string: lower tension enough that you can pull string onto the neighbor tuning pin (and/or lower tension of the neighboring tuning pin). It might be that moving string through the hole in the agraffe will ...

👍 ------------------------------ David Love RPT www.davidlovepianos.com davidlovepianos@comcast.net 415 407 8320 ------------------------------ ...

It looks and feels like there's a small chunk taken out of the top of it. It appears to be only cosmetic. Originally I thought it had something to do with it, but then I discovered the same issue happening on a few other notes where the agraffe looks ...

One sample: SW 11 grams; friction 2.5 grams; 7 swings - shank Abel ------------------------------ David Skolnik [RPT] Hastings-on-Hudson NY (917) 589-2625 ------------------------------

Benjamin, The top of the agraffe in question looks different from the other agraffes in the image. Why is that? Alan ------------------------------ Alan Eder, RPT Herb Alpert School of Music California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA 661.904.6483 ...

Hello all, I have a Steinway M here that has a very noticeable buzz when E4 is played. I've traced the issue back to the section of the string right before the agraffe. When I put my finger on it and press hard, the buzz goes away. When I take my finger ...

Bartender, I'll have whatever Blaine is having! :::::They are among us::::: https://www.reinert-piano.de/en/shop/janko-en Förster stacked double grand piano tuned in quarter steps ------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal ...

Ed, Ahh yes...duh! Thx for clearing that up. This is very interesting. I'm going to send this over to him and let him digest it a bit. So you're working on something that might offer a similar feature? Peter Grey Piano Doctor ...

Daniel, Thank you for the information! There's one less row and a few differences between the scale you sent and the plate stamps, but otherwise pretty close: 13 - 7 (instead of 6) 16 - 8 (instead of 9) 18 - 10 (instead of 11) As an aside, I ...