Bosendorfer Una corda problem

[sussexpianos]

1930's Bosendorfer baby grand 5foot. I’m trying to get the una corda to work but I am perplexed by the problem that the keys are touching the dampers next to them so much so that I can not move the action at all! The keys are fine, no warping etc. the bodies look ok, there is no adjustment to the damper body rail, felts in good condition.
When looking down with a torch the keys are too far over to the right so that by moving them only a slight amount, they touch the next damper so two will lift.
OK, I have never ever come across this before. My only options which I can think of are 1) relocate the damper body rail to the right and then spend a day bending all the wires 2) remove the action cheek and locating block, cut/belt sand, so the action moves to the left, and then realign all the hammers. 3) cut the back of the keys on a saw so I remove about 2 mm on the right side so that they don't touch the next damper when the pedal is used.

I still don't know how this may have been caused

[Barrie Heaton]

Had this on a new Chinese piano keys lifting the dampers, was going to cut the keys..... but it was the padding on the bass glide rail was to thick pushing the action over to the treble. The Richard Head who did the set up in the factory did not spot it and spaced the hammers to the strings and the whippen to the hammers so made working it harder

Other possibility is the key frame the original

Barrie,

[sussexpianos]

Did think about the keybed not being original as that is the only reason why it wouldn't work. But if someone is going to the trouble of fitting a new bed and keys, they would make the una corda work?
Well, I moved the action to the left, re-regulated the action and trimed a few keys and it now works. Very weird

[Barrie Heaton]

Was it a clients piano or stock as the person may have sold it because it was like that

I did one last week the tuner from the shop told them

• Oh we don't tune new pianos to concert pitch we leave them just flat !
  The Una corda is fine it only moves a tiny bit !
  Thats the action going into rest and you can feel it that common on quality pianos when you play hard ! (that's a new ones on me)

The client was thinking of getting rid of the grand her teacher told her to ring me

• The piano was 1/4 flat
  The stop screw on the key bed had been turned out probably for transporting
  The damper slap rail was way up not in play. so the dampers were kicking back

Fixed them in in a few secs well the tuning took about a hour and half

Some of these guys that shops are sending out may be able to tune. but quite a lot of them have not got a clue how a piano works your Boze could have been like that for years.


Barrie,

[sussexpianos]

I cannot remember how many times I have come to a new upright piano with the hammers still resting on the jacks and the customer complaining about sticking keys!
Not to mention the polystyrene packing on the hammer rest rail! That does amaze me as surly they would notice the halfblow(soft pedal) wouldn't work!

[mdw]

I cannot remember how many times I have come to a new upright piano with the hammers still resting on the jacks and the customer complaining about sticking keys!
Not to mention the polystyrene packing on the hammer rest rail! That does amaze me as surly they would notice the halfblow(soft pedal) wouldn't work!

But dont forget the most important thing they managed to get it for a greeeeeeeeeeeeat price!!!!! I wonder why

[joe]

Packaging on new pianos delivered to customers home not a new thing just charge the client for set up and tune.Some internet dealers have come up with BESPOKE PREPARATION sound great but have seen a few Yamaha B1 and B2 which i know where sent direct from warehouse to end user from the guilty parties.Get the best price then have the most reputable tuner/tech set it up for you.

[Barrie Heaton]

I cannot remember how many times I have come to a new upright piano with the hammers still resting on the jacks and the customer complaining about sticking keys!
Not to mention the polystyrene packing on the hammer rest rail! That does amaze me as surly they would notice the halfblow(soft pedal) wouldn't work!

One of the biggest gripes form the piano retailers survey was lack of reg and voicing skills when setting up pianos

Should be able to publish the tuning and retailers survey soon well an overview

Barrie