posted this in a different forum...another member suggested it would be better to post here.

Hello

I recently purchased a restored Mason & Hamlin A 1915 piano and today I went under the instrument to have a look with a flashlight and noticed that two of the rods that go into the frame (near the tail end and towards the bass keys),have small horizontal cracks on either side.

Is this normal? Should this have been fixed during restoration?

Thanks

Having a hard time visualizing what you are seeing. The "tension resonator" is a very robust piece of hardware and it is unlikely that the metal rods would crack under the limited stress placed upon it. Unless some strange noise is being created it is not likely to be a problem IF there is any problem at all.

I'm with Dale. Those things are maybe 1/2" or 3/8" diameter iron or steel. They usually have some black paint on them. If you're seeing any cracks, they're most likely in the paint. They are not replaced during restoration.

Congratulations on one of the nicest pianos out there! I like the A's. I worked a lot on one last summer.

--Cy--

Sorry for not explaining myself, I meant that the horizontal cracks are on the actual wooden frame of the piano.

If I read more on how to post pictures on this forum I will upload some pictures.

Without pictures I hope now I am more clear.

Thanks

http://www.pianoworld.com/Uploads/fileuploader2.html

If you have not found this yet it will walk you through the process.

Hopefully someone was not "adjusting" the system.

I hope I did this right....

http://www.pianoworld.com/Uploads/files/cracks.jpg

These are the cracks I mentioned earlier. (you can see the horizontal cracks/splinters on either side where the rod enters the frame) My fear is that these cracks (it is cracked elsewhere on the rod that is towards the bass keys)will get worse and affect the sound of the piano or the frame or due any damage.

I assumed since I bought this piano as a 100% restored instrument, that I should not be finding "cracks" anywhere.

Please let me know what you think

Thanks

For 100% restored it does not appear that the soundboard is new - more like 70%.
If it were me I would have at least cleaned out the crack and filled it with epoxy to help stabelize. But I would have had the board out and access would have been easier.
I think that what Dale said is probably still valid.

Does this mean I have misplaced my money with having a soundboard that is "70%". Is this a bad thing? Is it going to be 50% or 10% within the next few years??

I know nothing of piano restorations but I have been playing piano for over 15 years (my previous grand piano was a Samick and I had to customize it because I was never in a position to buy a new grand piano) and this M&H sounds amazing to me. I actually chose it over a M&H AA because the sound was just sweeter. I would not want to give back the piano or anything like that.
I just do not want to be in a situation where I will have to pour money into the instrument (which is gone from buying this instrument).
If worst comes to worst and I have invested my money poorly, then I will contact the piano restoration company and see what can be done. They gave me a written 5 year warranty on parts and labor, so I hope this might be covered if something needs to be done to keep the stability of the instrument.
Thanks

So many times the term restoration or rebuild can carry a variety of meanings - unfortunately.
When I said 70% I was not refering to the soundboard, just the fact that the board appears in your photo to not be new so the restoration cannot be 100% - to me anyway.
I would take 100% literally.
Maybe you should get the restorer to give you a list documenting the work that was done.

Thanks Gene (if I may call you Gene),

I was reviewing the documentation conerning the work and it is as follows:

MASON
HAMLIN
A
#27968
1915
ACTION KEY FRAME HAS BEEN REFURBISHED, ALL HARDWARE POLISHED AND SEALED, NEW RENNER PREMIUM HAMMERS, SHANKS, FLANGES, NEW WIPPENS ,NEW KEY TOPS, NEW FRONT AND CENTER RAIL BUSHING, FULL REGULATION
INTERIOR NEW PIN BLOCK, NEW STRINGS TREBLE AND BASS, NEW 2.0 PINS , SOUNDBOARD REFURBISHED AND BEARING SET, , ALL HARDWARE POLISHED AND SEALED, NEW UNDER STRING FELTS, REBRONZED PLATE, NEW DAMPER FELTS, ALL TRAP WORK REBUSHED, DAMPER UNDER LEAVER REFURBISHED, TUNE TO A440
CASE REFINISHED TO HAND RUBBED BLACK SATIN, CLOSED PORE SATIN, ALL HARDWARE POLISHED AND SEALED, NEW BUTTONS, NEW SURFACE FELTS
WARRANTY 5 YEAR ON PARTS AND LABOR, ONE FREE IN HOUSE TUNE, ACTION MUST BE REGULATED AFTER 2 YEARS AT ½ RATE, FREE DELIVERY W/TRI COUNTY GROUND FLOOR

I am now aware of the exact wording of the soundboard as "refurbished".


Does any one forsee a problem in the future with these cracks??

Thanks

I had understood the main difference between restoration and rebuilding to be that the former doesn't involve replacement of the soundboard. For the record I am not a piano professional.

It seems OK to say that it's been restored, but maybe misleading or confusing to add the '100%'. It's ambiguous at the least. Even in a total rebuild, the rim, which is where the crack is, would not have been replaced.

If I were you, I know the crack would kind of stick around in the back of my head and bother me. There is some consolation though in the fact that it looks like it has been there a long time and hasn't gotten bigger recently, firstly. Secondly, remember that the rim is made of many laminations, so a crack in the top lamination is probably not that big a deal structurally speaking.

I do not believe the cracks you are describing are material in any way. They have nothing to do with the tone or the playability of the instrument. They do look old and may have been there since the piano was new. They have nothing to do with the "rebuilding" of the piano or any of the work performed. Affix and tiny bit of masking tape the the ends of each crack, or make a small pencil mark as an index to quality any growth down the road. I doubt strongly if they will grow measurably over the next twenty years.

There is "NOTHING" of any consequence in that picture. That crack in the inner rim veneer was likely there the day the rim was pressed. It probably was split before the glue was applied to the layer and opened up as the water in the hide glue left the glue joint. Or as am alternate explanation, the splinter was created when the inner rim was drilled from the other side to accept the tension resonator.

Worry about something else. Global cooling or the rise of Somalia as a superpower. ;-}

Thanks fellas,

This does put my mind at ease.

Are there any problems that can arise with restorations?

If all the work mentioned above is accurate, are there going to be any common problems?

Thanks again...now about Somalia!