On 3/11/2010 12:13 AM, Matt wrote: Mr. Tuttle,

An update: I was able to get the upper action out, it was not difficult at all. I am a fairly handy guy but this piano has been intimidating me. But the more I read your website, the more I convinced myself I could do it, and it wasn't that bad!

After looking things over, the rubber tubing in the tracker bar is shot. Two tubes were broken (the 2 notes that were stuck 'on'), and I can hear hissing from other tubes, I guess there is some leakage that is enough to hear but not enough to turn on a note. All of the tubing is hard and not very flexible.

So I need enough tubing to redo the tracker bar. It appears to me that the lead pipes are OK so I'm not going to replace those... Can I add this to the order I placed today and save on shipping? I'm hoping you can tell me what size I need and how much, and I'll order 20% extra in case I make any mistakes. I'll go with your recommendation as to whether to use the thicker wall vs. thinner wall tubing.

Hi Matt,

For transposing trackerbars, thin wall is easier to work with in most cases. I have a couple of pages about retubing the bar that should make the job easier. While they aren't directly related to a transposing bar, the techniques are identical. The 'trick' I use to put the tubes on as easily as possible is to dip a 1/16" of the end of the tube in WD-40. Then dab the very end of the tube on a piece of paper towel to remove any excess lubricant. Then the tube slips on workout much effort. (Be sure to note how far the tubes were put on the nipples originally, and push the new tubes on at least that far.)

If you have a heat gun, it will be the easiest way to remove the old tubing. Just apply enough heat to free the tubing. I always remove the bar to clean off the old tubing. It's just much easier that way. The roll tracking components can be a little tricky. So take lots of pictures so you know exactly where everything belongs. It also helps to make a list of the order in which things were taken apart. That way you're less likely to forget the way things go back together.

Also, remember that any leak you can hear is robbing the system of vacuum. And when you multiply a small leak times 88 playing notes, you have a significant leak.

It takes about 30 feet of tubing to do a normal transposing trackerbar (like the one in a Simplex). So, I'll send you 36 ft.

John