I've got a Chinese grand 5'3" spec makeover that we are starting on. It's getting WNG shanks/Rosnen Bacons, Long bridge and bass bridge new caps, some soundboard work, and correction of Chinese counterbearing clue-less friction configurations (it will be compliant to tune), Paullelo wire and new Bass strings of my design....a Falconi.
My quandary:
Sales price, for 5'3" Chinese instrument will I think be limited to what I can get, even with a real nice sounding instrument and responsive action, and compliant tuning friction...meaning 10K tops, I think. This limits how much work we can do. I am prioritizing the work outlined above because I know that will improve the sound of this thing by an order of magnitude, in the biggest bang for the buck department. Pin torque is perfect...no reason to touch it (bushed pins #1 pins). I need to remove the plate for the bridge/soundboard work. I don't want to touch those perfectly fitting pins. I know I could get the plate back on later with the original pins still installed, and install new bushings (I have an idea how to do this, which allows me to compress the bushing over the already installed pins).
The question is, can I get the plate off while the original bushings are in place? The stretcher is removable...we will remove that today. I'm thinking, with the chain hoist lifting, and the stretcher out of the way, we, in theory, should be able to pry the tuning pin section of the plate away from the block with the bushings still installed. Any thoughts on this?
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Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
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