Removing Peterson preamp faceplate from namerail

Started by The Real MC, January 07, 2012, 10:56:24 AM

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The Real MC

I have a sparkletop piano that is missing its original preamp and the bottom case is completely devoid of power amp and speakers.  I have a surplus Peterson preamp plus namerail from a scavenged piano and I want to shoehorn the preamp in the bottom case of the sparkletop, with added power supply.  I don't want it in the piano case because I don't want to drill holes in the chrome namerail and I don't want to carve out clearance in the harp cover for the wider case of the Peterson.

I'd like to get the faceplate off the namerail and transplant it to the panel that will be fitted to the bottom case.  Anybody know how to remove it without damaging it?

Ben Bove

I unfortunately don't know if there is a way.  being that the faceplate is thin and metal, any pressure applied to pull it off will bend it which I'm sure you've already throught of.

The only alternative I could think of short of soaking it in a glue remover and hoping the silk screening isn't affected, would be to machine the rail around the panel.  That way the faceplate would be in tact, but it would just have the added thickness of the name rail behind it that you could countersink into the cabinet?  That's the best I can think of.

Or this
http://www.vintagevibe.com/p-249-suitcase-name-plate.aspx
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AFeastOfFriends

If I were you, I'd take the preamp out, buy the replacement plate, then do what you wish with the namerail. Easiest, no damage way.

Then you could possibly sell the namerail or keep it for parts or something.

Fred

  To remove a faceplate, use Naptha. Pour it on the namerail and let it flow under the faceplate. The adhesive will soften allowing removal of the plate with a razor blade.

  BUT...

The Peterson pre-amp should fit on your Silvertop's namerail without any additional holes drilled... The Jordan pre had the same Vol./tone/Vib. control layout. When the Peterson pre was used in Silvertop pianos, the 4 conductor wire was hard-wired to the pre-amp with no connector socket on the pre-amp, so you will not need to enlarge the hole originally used for the 1/4" stereo connector cable.
  Use large lockwashers commonly used in mounting pots to space the pre-amp box from the namerail. This will allow your Silvertop harp cover to slide between the rail and the pre-amp, saving you from any modifications to the harp cover.
 
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The Real MC

Quote from: Fred on January 09, 2012, 08:06:29 PMUse large lockwashers commonly used in mounting pots to space the pre-amp box from the namerail. This will allow your Silvertop harp cover to slide between the rail and the pre-amp, saving you from any modifications to the harp cover.

Now THERE'S an idea

QuoteThe Peterson pre-amp should fit on your Silvertop's namerail without any additional holes drilled... The Jordan pre had the same Vol./tone/Vib. control layout. When the Peterson pre was used in Silvertop pianos, the 4 conductor wire was hard-wired to the pre-amp with no connector socket on the pre-amp, so you will not need to enlarge the hole originally used for the 1/4" stereo connector cable.

I knew the holes were the same alignment.  My studio recording method uses a DI off the harp and on playback it goes through a reamp so I can process with external amp, Peterson preamp, Leslie, whatever fits the song.  That's why I wanted the Peterson preamp separate from the piano and I didn't want to drill new holes for the accessory jacks.  After careful consideration I have the option of using a modern replacement connector that will fit the 3/8" hole where the original TRS cable was, then I could assign separate lines for direct connection to the harp and for FX insert and put the preamp chassis in the piano.  Building a power supply and interface panel for the bottom case is easy.

Fred

Or, you could wire the pre-amp to look stock, and get some cables to create your accessory loop. I got mine at Radio Shack. 1/4" mono to rca male, (harp to whatever) and 1/4 mono to rca female (whatever back to pre-amp).
Head Designer of the Vintage Vibe Tine Piano
Collector
Electric Piano Technician in New Haven, Ct.
(203) 824-1528