Some mechanical problems — Pianoconcerto Forum

Member

Posts: 95
City: Ispica (RG)

August 25, 2014, 14:58

Hello everyone,

I think this is the right section to ask, excuse me if I am in the wrong place. A few months ago, I changed pianos from an upright to a second-hand grand piano. The piano is perfectly fine, it works very well and has never given me any kind of problems; I simply would like to make some improvements due to personal preferences. I chose this piano because it was the one closest to my preferences, but a few small modifications still need to be made.

I am here to ask you if these modifications are possible and, above all, if you can tell me roughly how much they might cost me, since I will have to call my trusted tuner soon for his first intervention on this piano.

The piano in question is a Rönisch. First of all, I would like to reinforce the pedal lyre which, although minimally, seems to wobble a bit. I think it is due to the fact that instead of having two lateral metal bars holding it in position, it is only supported by one central wooden bar.

Then I would like to adjust the key action a bit. The advantage of this piano's keys is that they are well-weighted in my opinion, but perhaps due to the heat we've had lately, the response doesn't seem the same to me (yes, I have humidity problems; I put it in the least humid place in the whole house, but I still haven't been able to eliminate the problem).

Another detail I would like to fix is that the dampers of some bass notes—from what I can see, perhaps due to the felt needing replacement—do not always stop the string in time; sometimes they take

pianoexpert

Moderator

Posts: 3,876
City: rocca di papa

August 25, 2014, 17:48

You need to listen to some local technicians and call the one who best identifies what needs to be done. How can we make a work estimate on others without having seen the instrument? Forgive me, but it is not possible. From what you are telling me, they don't seem like considerable interventions anyway, apart from the fact that the level of the piano may not give you perhaps something more that you are looking for. But the essential thing is to make it work and sound well.

Of course, when you tell me "the key response" can depend on many things, not least the mechanics which could be a bit "lazy." It's all to be seen. The important thing is that you have what the technician suggests doing well detailed and justified. And also to know what result they think they will achieve with the proposed intervention.