The black stuff was called corfam.
Yes, I think full replacement including the catchers is the way to go, if the piano is deemed worth it. Those pianos don't check well with the corfam.
Here in the tropics that black stuff alternately turns gooey then powdery and one ends up with a black mess everywhere except the hammer butts and catchers where only the white backing is left and that eventually gets worn through and the jack gets fouled either on the up stroke or the back stroke or both.
It used to be possible to buy a set of catchers and just cut off the old ones and replace them. They don't seem to be available anymore.
There was a discussion here in the past:
https://my.ptg.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=43&MID=224767As far as Baldwin being able to do anything, good luck. As related to me by a colleague who requested replacement hammers for a set that had come unglued shortly after Gibson had taken over, their response was "We bought Baldwin's assets, not their liabilities."
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Steven Rosenthal
Honolulu HI
808-521-7129
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 19:22
From: Larry Fisher
Subject: BALDWIN console "full blow" action 1976
This is the vintage where the inverted sticker was a short one just so that Baldwin could say they had a full length hammer shank hence the term "full blow" action.
The butt leathers are all coming loose from the hammer butts on this one. I'm painfully aware of the Corfam and Ecsane era but this one has black thin material with a white back side. It's almost as it they used a self adhesive sheet on the "leather to speed up the application process.
Question one ...... anyone know what I'm describing
Question two .... is simply gluing them back on sufficient or am I looking at a full replacement job here?
Qustion three .... you used to be able to send these to Baldwin and get them done. What's the latest?