Hi, Keith
No Downey. It puts sticky smelly goop into the hammer and you can't get it out.
Ask her if she hears the piano as being harsh or if she likes it this way. Some do.
If she wonders what you mean, find the very worst most brash and ugly note you
can, and then find another note nearby which isn't quite as awful, and play them one
after the other. Play them the same volume. (honesty, give them both an equal chance.)
Then take the chopstick needle, and put it in at a 45 degree angle entering just in front
of the string grooves of the worst note. One needle, not more than about 1/3" long.
Push it all the way in under the right string, play the note, push it in under the middle string, play
the note, push it in under the left string, play the note. Even a Koren piano will usually
give a demonstration of why she might want you to do this, even if it still needs more.
The vodka is particularly helpful to smooth out the broken glass in octave 7, because
there is so little felt up there and it is usually juiced till it is a solid block, extremely
hard to needle, and extremely prone to damage either by needling or by filing.
Use a very modest amount of vodka, like a few drops, right in the string grooves.
It still lets the top be bright, but with a little cushion in the sound, it is fast, it doesn't
harm the felt, and none of it remains in the hammer.
If you use too much, even up there, the felt will deform, usually getting taller
but narrower. Lower down where there is more felt, and the hammers are more
flattened on the end, the vodka, even in modest amounts, will swell up the
felt just in front of and behind the string grooves, because it is compacted
there while it has flaked away where the string grooves are. A light filing
of the bulges to restore a more or less oval shape can go very quickly..
I wouldn't do a whole section. Do a note or two while she is watching and
listening, then ask her if she wants you to do the whole thing. Used sparingly
on the brightest registers, even more sparingly or not at all on the less bright
areas, the vodka can get you a good way toward the ball park with very little
expenditure of time, and then the needles have to even it up and do the rest,
after a little bulge-removing reshaping as needed.
It's not that hard to get them looking better in a uniform way with the bulge
removal, as well. Just nip into the edges of those very long string grooves
to shorten them making the shape uniform with the neighbors..
When it comes to regulation you need to do some educating. Moving
the hammer very slowly, explain the dance it should do, what letoff is,
what drop is, what check distance is, what the distances should be,
and show the rise from the spring tension when letting up on the key..
If you see something way out of line, excessive drop
comes to mind, find the very worst one, show her that it is worse
than the others, pull the action onto your lap and fix it, pointing out
the difference in touch.
I agree that bad-mouthing the previous technician is psychologically
terrible. Any disparagement should be left to the customer after
seeing the improvements you make.Even so, I do nothing to encourage
it. The closest I got to it was working with a piano prof who was recording
in his own house, on a very nice B. We found a soft pedal return noise
which he had never noticed in the years he had played the piano, but
it was very obvious once noticed, and couldn't be left -- a kind of
intermittent knocking as the action moved back over to rest. After I
pulled it, I found that someone had used some lubricant (not dry)
on the back rail area of the keybed, where it had turned to a glaze,
and also on the glide inserts. I used graphite on the glide inserts and
copious 100% pure scentless talcum powder on the back area -- got
kind of manic with it, actually. Sound disappeared. He said he knew
who had done that. I told him that the guy hadn't done him any favors.
If you explain the regulation and she doesn't want it, or not now, well,
it is her piano and her money. Just say that it can be done at any time
and if she is ready later just say the word. Tell her the poor regulation
makes the touch worse but won't harm the instrument -- well, except
blocking hammers can break a shank now and then.
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Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-05-2019 14:21
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: convincing client, best approach
I always liked Don Mannino's story about how he was criticizing the previous technicians work and what was recommended and then later finding his own card in the piano.
So I don't talk bad about other tuners. People are loyal even if what they had wasn't up to par. At least in a small community like mine.
Now the guy is dead.
The other tuner in town is worthless as a technician, uses wd40, does a decent job tuning if the piano agrees with him.
I got a call from a long time teacher, musical family. Has a 6ft Schafer and Sons that had the deceased old tuner "taking care" of.
The problem;
The pianos have never been regulated by the old guy in 30 years. It doesn't play that hard but the sound is pinging and had lack of clarity in the bass. I really had no intention of doing more than just tuning and talking about the other issues,, but
The sound made me check the plate bolts. I got an eighth of a turn on all the rim screw. Snugged it down. It didn't change my pitch but made the bass sound better. The piano gained in volume.
That was bad. It took the lousy voiced hammers and hard to control (bad reg) mechanics and accentuated the worst of the sound making it too loud and pingy.
What's my first move when I get to the piano tomorrow?
#1 Be frankly honest and then take the string grooves off and see if the hammer could take some needles? Just give her back a softer sound like she had and then discuss regulation?
#2 Take the strings grooves off, shallow needle the tips. Let her listen, if she likes it be frankly honest and if she doesn't want to deal with anything,,, run.
#3 Pick an octave, say across the tenor treble strut break. Where the hammers have enough felt to voice and can be gang filed. Regulate that octave and voice it. If she doesn't want to do the whole sheebang, put the regulation back similar to the others and quick voice.
#4 Downey,, and alcohol or maybe Vodka,,,, ? Susan?
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Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
209-770-4312
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