Reply To: Pinocchio Pianino
The Pinocchio Pianino, the Chordiana, and the Bontempi are the same instrument, except that the mouthpiece receptacle on the Bontempi is rectangular. I replaced the gaskets (as shown above) on the Pianino with 1/8″ thick gasket tape. That gasket material is a kind of foam, and it’s working well. This morning I replaced the gaskets on my Chordiana, but now using a 1/16″ thick rubber-like silicone gasket tape — Saint-Gobain 100S Strip-N-Stick Silicone Gasket Tape, 30′ Length, 1/2″ Width, 1/16″ Thick — available at Amazon.com for $15.45 U.S. This is working equally well. It has a lot of stretch to it and I’m guessing that it will be more durable over many years than the foam. One minor drawback is that it is not as sticky as the other tape so requires a bit more attention to making sure it stays in place during reassembly. The 30′ length is great, especially considering that for this purpose it will usually be cut in thinner strips, three of them in this case. FURTHER NOTE: Don’t over-tighten the screws or bolts, as this may place undue stress on the main gasket and/or displace it. Finger tight is sufficient with these models.
