pleyel upright piano problems

[jrjw]

I have a beautiful Pleye p131 upright, well actually it is the second beautiful p131 i have had, as my original bought in 1998, developed a problem somewhere and would not tune properly. I eventually received a replacement in 2000, after much to-ing and fro-ing. This piano has a great sound, but unfortunately, does not hold pitch correctly. the first thing to go are the octaves, then the area aroung g below middle c. the piano is also suffering from some lost motion. I keep the temperature and humidity in the room as constant as possible, but it is not helping. I can't understand how I am having so much trouble with an instrument with such good components. Renner action etc.
Does anybody have or know of similar problems, as I am about to start another battle with Pleyel.
An instrument costing 5 figures should not be causing these problems.
Best regards jrjw

[Barrie Heaton]

Since this is the second time you have had the same problem I would say that it is too hot for the piano as to the lost motion that is a simple fix

How hot is the room and what part of the world do you live in

Barrie,

[jrjw]

Thanks for your response.
However I do not live in the same house as when I had the first piano. I live in Scotland. The temperature rarely goes above 70 c
j

[Barrie Heaton]

The way you have described the tuning it sound like a humidity swing problem it only take a 5 degree swing to alter a pianos tuning

I just visited a client today who is now back on once a year tuning and the pitch was bang on However, two years ago we were getting a 15 cents swing and we have to change to twice a year tuning after being on once a year for over five year the reason was her daughter has moved back in and she was a pasts freak and was for ever boiling the stuff the daughter has now left so the piano is back to normal

I don’t know the layout of your house or the state of the tuning pins but I would invest in a Hygrometer and see what the swing is over a season


First let me say , it is very easy to sit here and call into question a tuners work but with out seeing the piano it is difficult as there can be many factors that can cause this problem plank, soundboard bridges Also as it is a new piano it could just be settling in some take 2 yeara or more what was the other problem you had with the other Pleyel 131

The other factor could be the tuner not setting the pins and strings your piano may have a lot of drag on the strings and some tuners have big problems with this, what has your tuner said about the possible cause of the instability.

If he/she has no answer then a change of tuner perhaps but I would try to work with your present one first


Barrie,

[jrjw]

hi, thanks again for responses.
The first piano I had was tuned by the dealer, my usual piano tuner and a top piano tuner. The fight for a replacement was backed by Inter pianos and my dealer.
The new piano has been soley tuned by my regular piano tuner, who I trust and value implicitly. He looks after most of the Bosendorfers in East central Scotland.
Can I explain that the extent of the problem is not a need for 2 or 3 tunings a year but that the piano is going out within a few weeks of tuning, I could live with tuning when the central heating is switched on in October and off in May. But when it is excruciating to use the sustain pedal, something is not right. I hope you will agree.
Regards John

[jrjw]

Hi,
Sorry. The problem with the original piano was cracks in the base opening of leg joints, and going out of tune at the bottm resister before it was tunes at the top register. It took my dealer, an accomplished tuner 21/2 hours to tune and went out of tune completely in 3 days.
J

[Barrie Heaton]

Not having tuned one I could not comment on the general stability of the piano However, cheaper makes of piano can take quite a few tuning to bed them in the new Eavestaff comes to mind, I have one that took 8 tunings before it was stable, but your piano is far form cheep and one would have expected that the piano had been played in before despatch – since you had stability problems in the other piano it could be said that is a lack of tunings by the manufacture and will settle down one day – I would have a long chat with your tuner perhaps the use of a string wheel may help, this is like a pizza cutter but with a grove in it you run it up and down the steel string to stretch them for the bass you put on cotton cloves and push down on them.

Has he been monitoring the pitch is that stable or is he having to pitch the piano each time.

You could have got a piano with plank problems if the plank was not seated correct in production it can rock causing tuning stability problems but this is normally a associated with grands.

Barrie

[jrjw]

hi, thanks for your resposes.
I have had a long discussion this evening with my tuner, he has had reservations for a while with the piano, when I first got it it was dropping slightly as well as the octaves and unisons going, but now it pretty much holds pitch, whether tuned at the traditional or american tuning. The situation with the plank is interesting. This is the only part apart from the case work that is actuaully sourced and manufactured by Pleyel themselves, and my tuner has heard from a very well respected tuner, high up in tuning circles, from the west of scotland, who I would prefer not to name, that Pleyel bought a load of French beech which was substandard and not upt to the job Could this be the problem, it seems to be holding the pins ok.
Thid problem has exhibited itself in some of the "lesser division" pianos coming out of the Pleyel factory. You may be aware that Pleyel has had a chequred history before and since coming back into French hands.
It is also interesting to note that I have sent no less than 11 emails to Pleyel on the subject of both pianos, none of which have been graced by a reply.
I am just gutted that a piano that sounds so good when just tuned, (I swear that it could be a grand), is proving so problematic.
On the subject of humidity, my tuner reminds me that on a 2 month test with his hygrometer/thermometer the humidity wa always between 48 and 55.
Best regards
J

[Barrie Heaton]

As to the beach they use Delignit wrest planks which is multi layered and made in Germany. However, they may have use the beach on the bridges and the pins may be moving that that would explain just odd octaves going out of tune - you would need to measure the pins with a micrometer it would help if you had the factory specs for the bridge pins taping the pin down helps. Also, you can sometimes see small cracks at the site of the pins

When you emailed them do you translate it into French you get a better response from the French if you do that, put the English version below

Barrie,

[jrjw]

HI, thanks very much for your reply once again, We will have a look at that then see where it leads.
Best regards
j