Discussion Posts

I am not sure you want to use a thermostat from amazon to control a 4 foot heat bar on a piano covered with blankets. Any type of malfunction could end up torching the piano and house. Stick with the proper Dampp-Chaser/Piano Life-Saver which is UL rated ...

Jim No. Push down on the sharp and while the damper is off the string, the same height as when the sharp is played, clamp the clothes pin to the side of the damper head.  Do this for each damper on both ends of each section. So you'll need at least 6 ...

Hey thank you!  As far as whether I should or not install the dehumidifier, I find they really help here in the winter. The thing to remember is that on the west coast it is Wet in Winter. Dry in Summer. The added temperature slows down the unison creep ...

It doesn't matter what the piano sounds like when no one is there to play it. When he arrives and turns on the heat, he should open the piano. Give it 48 hours to  acclimate to room temperature, strings and plate, then tune it. If the piano gets cold, ...

I am on the coast of South Carolina and like many places near the coast or bodies of water it is a real challenging environment. I have been servicing a Yamaha C6 for years that has always struggled and I advised them for years to get a Dampp-Chaser system ...

I wouldn't worry so much about the humidity, unless you really need the income generated from installation. I advise people with their second residence to be more concerned about creating a warm place for mice to build a home. ------------------------------ ...

you both are putting the clothespin (pinch) on the selected damper head, while the bottom of the clothespin rests on the dampers which are still resting on the strings...right? ------------------------------ Jim Ialeggio grandpianosolutions.com Shirley, ...

Alexander. I think a "laundry pinch" is the same as a clothes pin. ------------------------------ Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT Mililani, HI 96789 ------------------------------

Even simplier: press few sharps and pinch the corresponding dempers with laundry pinch. Remove the action. Adjust stop rail. Alexander Brusilovsky ------Original Message------ There's a much simpler method.  Make a wedge like this (a triangular upright ...

It's actually probably about 1 out of 3 are PTG members. That would follow the "Rule of Three" that Tim Barnes and the Gazelle team teach. If that's the case, then that means the PTG is dominating the upper third of the market for piano technician training.  ...

It's interesting what you say, Ben, that Apex is there for the 3 out of 4 piano technician who don't want to be in PTG for personal or political reasons. Not to long ago I asked on GPI why some people don't belong to PTG. A whole bunch of non members ...

We're running 30-something systems here in the Department of Music at the University of Regina.  A couple of summers ago I stuck a data logger to the control unit of several of the systems and let it run for a few days.  I was able to get a picture of ...

OOOOHHHH! Thanks, Kathy! Got it. I sometimes know when my head is stuck in "country church spinet mode", but it's still hard to pop outside that box without a little help. I'm familiar with all the things you mentioned & I'm back on the same page. Thanks! ...

Hi, Maggie, This is a good discussion on the relatively longer-term changes to tunings with humidity change. We deal with this in California a lot, because on this very day, we have a Santa Ana offshore wind blowing which is taking our sort of average ...

As far as a dual system, the dammp chaser, basically is always on, because it uses the dehumdifier to circulate the air. The cycling of the system creates a more even climate in the piano. The side effect is the reservoir needs filling consistently. ...

Dammp chaser units are only reliable as the owner chooses to be. Some owners can't keep a plant alive even when they are there to put water in. When you aren't there to put water in, they are not very reliable. Margaret put it correctly in a private to ...

It is important to understand that in a humidity control system such as we typically use in pianos, the heater bar (I'm not referring to the one draped with a wet pad) comes on when the humidity is too high, not when it is too low.  Raising the temperature ...

Crazy & possibly stupid (brainstorming) thought (LOL): What would happen if you put one heater bar in a piano with a thermostat, then installed a full DC system (w/x-lg water tank) with it? I'm not suggesting this; it just popped into my head. 😜 ------------------------------ ...

So do we have any information about reliability and consistency/accuracy of the Dampp-Chaser units, especially the humidistat part? How do we know the humidistat is giving us 42%? Is there a recommended procedure to check? How long do the humidistats ...

Exactly, most likely after consideration, stabilizing the humidity will probably be better than stabilizing the temp. The bar should be on most of the winter and that will keep the piano slightly warmer. A cover would be nice.  Has anyone experimented ...

Ed - That just explained a lot to me, thanks. Don - I know humidity & temperature are intertwined, but my personal experience is that if humidity is stable, temperature can fluctuate & the tuning will be minimally effected. Can you expound on your experience ...

I went back & read your first post. I missed the word "thermostat". Sorry; reading on phone. All I can say is that these same principles apply & it would be very unwise to heat it in any season that might be dry. Temperature and humidity are intertwined. ...

The humidistat turns it on when the humidity, not temperature, goes above 42% & off when it goes below. That means it's mostly on in the summer & mostly off in the winter if you are in a climate like mine in WV. Regardless of temperature, if it is dry, ...

A kiln??? You know with the stat set at 70 degrees it turns off the heat. It probably has a +- 5 degrees. Sounds like we are keeping it at room temp. Yes it will be dry but the summer humidities are between 10% and 30% and winter is when you want a heat ...

There's a much simpler method.  Make a wedge like this (a triangular upright lid prop works well too). Insert under the damper tray like this to raise it slightly Check the height of the damper tray by inserting the action and testing ...

I'm going to follow this to see what other people say, but remember a "heater bar" isn't to regulate heat; it's to regulate humidity. If it's cold, and the humidity is down, then the humidistat might not even kick on. If there is a heat source in the ...

I got a call to tune a piano. I got there and it's a second/future home up in the mountains. He had just got there so the place was 50 degrees with the forced air blowing sort of warm air. I told him I should come back when the place was warm. We then ...

I agree with Kevin regarding not passing judgment too quickly. I've spoken with Eric Roberts over the phone about this. His vision is quite impressive, though it is no where near completed at this stage.  Is it an alternative to PTG? Maybe. I prefer ...

Click the little arrow next to the reply button.  Loved reading this thread. Gave me some much needed giggles this AM. You all are awesome. ;-)  :-) ------------------------------ Maggie Jusiel Athens, WV (304)952-8615 mags@timandmaggie.net ----- ...

Jim I. wrote: " you can edit previous posts..." I was not aware of that. Not that I've ever made a typo, but just in case someone ever asks me how to do it, how does one edit an existing post? I've looked all over and don't see anything to allow ...

Too cool! I'm sending that one to Tim. ;-)  Thanks for sharing! :-) ------------------------------ Maggie Jusiel Athens, WV (304)952-8615 mags@timandmaggie.net ------------------------------

Thanks Jim! Just noticed the hidden tool and used it. Now I should not have to worry about being fired as our Chapters Newsletter Editor. Love you guys! ------------------------------ Kevin Magill Williamsburg VA 757-220-2420 ----------------------- ...

you can edit previous posts, a tool I would be sunk without.   or said another way...yoo ken ebit prepious boasts ------------------------------ Jim Ialeggio grandpianosolutions.com Shirley, MA 978 425-9026 ------------------------------

For years as Journal editor I have tried to ride peacefully over irreconcilable differences about the "right way" to tune a piano and how to teach tuning. In coaching I have had to face the fact that some people just couldn't hear what seemed self-evident ...

...and please excuse my misspells. I work with an iPad in the mornings and the virtual keypad it offers leaves a lot to be desired. ------------------------------ Kevin Magill Williamsburg VA 757-220-2420 ------------------------------

I became acquainted with APEX after puchasing and taking the training on one of the tools they sell at another website. As a field tech I found the tool useful in voicing hammers down in a non-traditional way in less than 30 minutes. Since adding this ...

"the only online mentorship for piano technicians with the option to become a Certified Piano Technician." That's nice, considering the term "Certified Piano Technician" is utterly meaningless, especially considering they don't divulge their curriculum, ...

I agree. I've wasted too much time trying to find information on the PTG website (and what I'm looking for often isn't available) when it was so easy to just look it up in the Directory. ddf -- Delwin D Fandrich Fandrich Piano Company, Inc. ...

Excellent...thanks, Ed. ------------------------------ Jim Ialeggio grandpianosolutions.com Shirley, MA 978 425-9026 ------------------------------

In general, wood takes on humidity about five times faster than it gives it up. So one has more stable time before a "wet" piano dries out than a "dry" piano gets "wet". ------------------------------ Edward McMorrow Edmonds WA 425-299-3431 -------- ...

I set the damper upstop rail after I have derived the thickness for the stop block felt on the damper pedal trap lever. The trap lever stop felt is made to stop the pedal travel at equal or slightly greater than the damper lift produced by the sharp keys. ...

I love that idea for a road regulation!  Thanks so much! ------------------------------ Ted Rohde Central Illinois ------------------------------

Jim. Not sure I understand the "index" part of your explanation  I hold down a sharp and clip a clothes pin on it. The spring type with a flat bottom.  Do that for a sharp at both ends of each section.  To get a little extra room, raise the damper a ...

how?  Clip it on the head and index off the index heads? ------------------------------ Jim Ialeggio grandpianosolutions.com Shirley, MA 978 425-9026 ------------------------------

Terry from my perspective it looks like a couple of people trying to make money from unsuspecting piano tuners who might not like the PTG because they didn't have the qualifications to pass the exams. ------------------------------ Willem "Wim" Blees, ...

Nice jigs Jim, but my clothes pins have been doing this for 40 years. ------------------------------ Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT Mililani, HI 96789 ------------------------------

I was recently trading emails with another piano tech and he mentioned APEX Piano Technicians Network (APTN). I was just curious what that might be so I looked it up on the internet and found their webpage. I've read through much of it, but still don't ...

Nice! Pwg ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH 603-686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

Most interesting and thanks for posting. But music of the 18th century (a) should not be performed in equal temperament, especially F minor, the key of Mourning https://ledgernote.com/blog/interesting/musical-key-characteristics-emotions/ Deepest ...

A very short clip from Boston Symphony Thursday evening Andras Schiff and Bosendorfer 280VC   brought in from Yamaha Artist Services and serviced by his  tech. Bach Keyboard Concerto F minor.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAxzSqaHjg. www.snowpianos.com ...