Discussion Posts

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Interestingly I am rescaling a 5' 8" Stieff grand that (on paper) wants this exact pattern around the treble strut. Goes from #15 to #14.5 on each side of the strut and then back to 15. This keeps tension much more consistent through there rather than ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    A squeak in the key can also come from the capstan. I don't know which capstan these pianos have (WNG or brass) but try a little Teflon powder on the wippen cushion. If in the key bushings you can usually diagnose by applying pressure to one side while ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Cory, I stand corrected! One of our esteemed colleagues just graciously and privately schooled me that the model piano you are working on is indeed made in China, by Pearl River. Apologies for consuming precious bandwidth with my ignorance! Alan ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Hi Cory, By no stretch of the imagination am I any kind of expert concerning Mason and Hamlin pianos. But this is the first mention I've ever heard of products bearing that name being manufactured offshore. Those black key pins you saw could very ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    If they ask me to "fix it" what I am thinking of is removing the keys to clean and polish the pins finishing with ProLube or similar. I did however let some Protek drip down a balance rail pin as a test and that did not solve this issue. Another tech ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Hi Cory, It's been super cold and dry in WI this Winter. It's possible those squeaks were not an issue at the dealer, and only recently surfaced. It sounds like what you suggested Cory: Key Balance Holes against the Balance Pins. Protek CLP has helped ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Bingo! Real math never lies! Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH (603) 686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Kent, Aha, I think you got through my thick skull. Thank you for bearing with me, I think I see the light at the end of this tunnel. This is mind bending stuff when you're used to thinking inside an octave. I came to the calculation of half of 1.23 ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Tim wrote: " The Pythagorean comma is normally thought about as being distributed between fifths. P12ET distributed between fifths and octaves. Fifths are narrowed by 1.23 cents. 1.23x12 =14.76. Octaves are stretched 1.23 cents. " Correct, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Anthony, Thank you for this, that really helps me visualize what P12ET is doing. Kent, After thinking about it some more over the weekend, I think I am starting to wrap my head around what you're saying, particularly in relation to distributing ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I'm a bit late to this, but I'd like to take a stab at it. Setting aside the discussion about comma, which confuses me too, I'll see if I can explain the "pure 12th" idea at the theoretical (no inharmonicity) level and the real piano (with inharmonicity) ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Okay, I just listened to it over my stereo...I'm now thinking that glue soaked through the balance rail bushings and the pins are squeaking on that. If I'm right it needs to be completely rebushed probably front as well just in case. Peter Grey ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    It's too loud and spread out to be an action part--center pin, rep spring, etc. And I too don't think it would have gotten out of the store like either this so I'm voting for some debris having gotten into the action during the move. Shouldn't be hard ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    It's really an unusual sound. Backchecks impinging on a loose sostenuto bar? The sound seems consistent from note to note, the scraping sound seems to come on the upstroke. Looking forward to finding out, this is pretty unique. ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    How in the world could it have left the showroom sounding like this? Or did it? Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH (603) 686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Thank you. I will retain this for the future. In this case there will not be any "repair" effort AFAIK as it really should get replaced at this point. My re-pinnings also get the Lo-torq pins. They are the best IMO. Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Peter You might be able to test to see if that's the case by uncoupling one string and backing it out a full turn, or more, and see if that solves the problem. I always drill out that shelf when installing O/S pins, if not use a shorter pin. Typically, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Have you looked inside yet? The rubbing is so loud it almost sounds like a pencil or something inside there. But, do you have a repetition spring tool? On just one key , can you ease the rep spring out of its slot, clean out the slot, use a little dental ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    If aural tuners really can hear the difference I'd have expected more comment on the recordings of my work such as https://youtu.be/JvrGV58ZsAU (click through to the Schubert) Certainly I've been caught out in professing to be able to hear something ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Geoff, I maintain a 6’7” Kimball Viennese edition grand. It is a solid and stable piano. There is no reason why it can’t be tuned to A443. Sent from my iPad CarlPianoTech.com

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Steven/all: Regarding temperament and the entire compass In addition to octaves and 12ths I consider contiguous imperfect intervals. For instance the theoretical ratio of M6ths is 5/3; the upper beating 5 times to 3 of the lower. 5/2 for contiguous ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Have fun with these: You're in luck. You've contacted the network of piano technicians heeding Trump' call to place a Steinway baby grand piano in every room of his Mar a Lago resort (https://www.maralagoclub.com/guest-suites). Call their number ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    As an aural tuner, I'll bring up the caboose on this discussion. Which someone mentions extrapolating the temperament into the outer octaves, using pure octaves, I have to ask which octave are they going to make pure. The single octave (2:1) is the most ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Tim wrote: " My point about thirds has more to do with the sound of 10ths and 17ths, which are very relevant to real music. " Indeed. It is entirely possible/probable that I happen to be less sensitive than others to the speed of 3rds, 10ths, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Kent, I didn't see your last post (16) until after submitting post 18. It seems there should be a less confusing out-of-order way for replying to threads on this forum. But that's another issue. Hopefully my last post clarifies where I think my confusion ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    " The more I think about the cents in both tuning methods not being equal, the more I believe this is the point that is throwing me off. If one cent in P12ET = more than one cent in P8ET in Hz, the 1.23 cents in question would be equivalent to more than ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Kent, One more follow-up from my last post (#15). The more I think about the cents in both tuning methods not being equal, the more I believe this is the point that is throwing me off. If one cent in P12ET = more than one cent in P8ET in Hz, the 1.23 ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Tim wrote: "I think what I'm still struggling conceptually is that the Pythagorean comma, by definition (I think) has the parameter of an octave, so extending it to a 12th-- more than an octave-- seems counter intuitive. I think that's still where I'm ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I have a call to service two pianos. One is a Bösendorfer Imperial grand, tuned to A443, and the other is a c. 1980's 6'7" Kimball-Bösendorfer from the "Viennese Collection". Customer is requesting they be tuned together. Was the Kimball-Bösendorfer also ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    David wrote: " What is the relationship between the "pure" 3:1 19th note and the inharmonic 3rd partial of the lower note? Tuned by ear if the partial is aligned then won't the real interval be generally sharper than the 3:1 ratio if the inharmonics ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Kent, Thank you, I think I'm starting to wrap my head around it, though it does hurt a little. ;-) I think what I'm still struggling conceptually is that the Pythagorean comma, by definition (I think) has the parameter of an octave, so extending it ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I'll join in in also getting confused in these types of discussions when real inharmonicity (the Railsback Curve) is brought in. My personal preference is to only discuss temperaments in terms of actual musical harmonicity, which is easy for an aural ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Kent - thanks What is the relationship between the "pure" 3:1 19th note and the inharmonic 3rd partial of the lower note? Tuned by ear if the partial is aligned then won't the real interval be generally sharper than the 3:1 ratio if the inharmonics ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Because of our aural tuning practices, we tend to conceptualize the temperament as being in the middle of the piano and then modified as we stretch out in either direction. It helps to think, rather than of a temperament 'section', of the temperament ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I wonder if this is an example of the AI era scams. Elisha's AI seemed to know exactly what was going on. Inside information? It might be interesting to flat out ask if one is communicating with an AI. It might just say yes. My experience with ChatGPT ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Lol, when I first heard the video I thought it was the èkelo (mynah bird in Hawaiian) outside my window, I had to stop the video to make sure. It's more of a squawk than a squeak. ------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal RPT Honolulu HI (808) ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    The use of WhatsApp is also a red flag because AFAIK it's untraceable. If one has a good reason to "disappear" that'd be a good way to do it. Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH (603) 686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Well said, Peter! I too am following the discussion with interest, and learning things :)

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Glad you are interested! Instead of dividing the comma into 12 equal parts as in pure octave ET, in pure 12th ET the comma is divided into 19 equal parts: 12 5ths plus 7 octaves. So, 23.46 cents of the comma divided by 19 half-steps = 1.23 cents. Think ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Tim, Even though you are confused, there are others of us equally confused and appreciate that you have the guts to spill your confusion out where we can all see it, yet at the same time learn from the ensuing comments and hopefully all of us ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I received a similar inquiry. When the "boss" contacted me on WhatsApp, she offered me a $1,000 "reward" for helping her find a piano for her daughter. I suspected a scam from the beginning, but the "reward" wording prompted me to block the contact. ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Thank you everyone for your replies! Kent, I appreciate your expertise on this. I'm still getting a little caught on the 1.23 cents narrow of fifths and wide octaves. I know that "normal" ET fifths are tempered by 1.96 cents, 1.96 x 12 = Pythagorean ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Gerry, The online Find a Technician button, non-RPTs, can be found there too. Gina Bonfie tti Registered Piano Technician

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    It seemed to be coming from the keysticks/balance rail holes/pins?...Thought I isolated it, but maybe I didn't look closely enough. Did you watch the second video clip? Pretty sure I did rule out the action stack... ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Have received the similar message. Just got another yesterday (2-14). Curious how the bad actors were able to , believe the term is "tag", piano technicians associated with the PTG. Make ya wants to go Hmmmmmmm. ------------------------------ Gerry ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    My best guess is that a bunch of repetition lever springs are out of their slots. While Wim's suggestion to push the situation back at the dealer or M&H technical services has a lot of merit, sheer curiosity would compel me to at least pull the action ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I would tell the school to call the dealer and complain about the squeaks. This is not normal and should be taken care of immediately by the dealer's technician. If the dealer can't or won't take care of it, call M&H or PianoDisc and ask if you can ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    A school client recently purchased a new M&H MHA-188G grand piano. First time I've seen one of these pianos and also the first time I've experienced this kind of a squeaking/squawking keyboard. It's a brand new piano. Does anyone else have experience ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    David, Your #2 possible diagnosis is one I've never heard before but it now makes a lot of sense. I've never felt one as bad as this, and it being global from bass to treble is also rather unique. Thank you for this insight. Exactly why I posted ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    They can also serve to surreptitiously install malware on your phone the instant you activate it. That's why deletion without opening is safer, especially email, but it still applies to texts. The malware will likely be dormant and undetectable for a ...