Discussion Posts

Jim and David, Thanks for your comments on action ratios. I've also been frustrated with the lack of standard methods to measure and express both the action ration and especially the key ratio. That crucial for us as we build keysets since we have to ...

That's why I use a minimal amount of CA on only the pins which really need it, and I never use the accellerant. Treating a whole pinblock I consider malpractice with a toxic substance -- though to each his own. A sandpaper shim would work, but it wouldn't ...

Jim This is a pretty involved question, as your outline indicates. When Gravagne was developing his program we had many discussions about this very issue-direct measurement versus product of levers, as well as the difference between distance ratios and ...

I certainly endorse the use of measuring leverage over static weight measurements.  But any static measurement is inadequate to reliably predict dynamic performance in all cases.  To use a tire balancing analogy, we are still using bubble-balancing techniques ...

Why not skip using CA altogether and carefully get the string coil off the pin . Back out the pin and make a sandpaper shim so the pin threads will bite into the sandpaper backing and the grit rubs the tuning pin walls. If it is done properly the shim ...

Agree completely. And swabbing the hole with medium or thick CA and using the original pin will absolutely work. I've run across many old uprights where the pin(s) was so loose that thin CA dripped in would not suffice. ------------------------------ ...

A larger pin might spread the crack and have a bad effect on neighboring notes. One of the real benefits of CA glue in a failing  pinblock is that it glues things together instead of forcing them further apart. ------------------------------ Susan Kline ...

I never liked the way accelerants smelled, and I've found them unnecessary. Why would one need for a glue to set up in a quarter second when it usually sets up in five or ten seconds, if spread thin enough? And moisture (humidity, breathe on it) is a ...

I want to discuss measuring action ratios, following a confusing response on the recent "half-punching" thread. Distance measuring action ratios can be confusing, and we need to know we are talking about the same thing when trying to communicate about ...

If there's no time of the essence factory involved why the need for accelerants? In doing something with CA the other day one of my sons who was working with me asked me why I wanted to use an accelerant and told me merely to breathe on it, being moisture ...

CA glues have a rather wide range of behaviors. You need to know your particular CA. H2O is an accelerant. Some CA is so sensitive that blowing through a straw will accelerate the glue. Very lightly licking the non-glue (!) side of a joint may help set ...

Scott, If your remedy incorporates removing the tuning pin, why don't you simply put in a larger pin? Roger ------Original Message------ Thanks for the answer all. Just wanted to clarify that I was most interested in the detail of accelerants. ...

Thanks for the answer all. Just wanted to clarify that I was most interested in the detail of accelerants. -- Scott Cole, Registered Piano Technician and Doctor of Music Serving Southern Oregon and Northern California (541)601-9033 rvpianotuner.com ...

I would suggest a different approach. Remove the coil from the pin, very carefully. (Of course, if it breaks no matter how gentle you are, the string will be replaced and unfortunately you'll make another trip unless you replace it with a hexocore string, ...

If you do anything, number 3 with medium thick or thick CA. It'll for sure work. ------------------------------ John Formsma, RPT New Albany MS ------------------------------

Scott, I would remove pin, swab, spray catalyst, wait a few minutes, tap pin in halfway and make a judgement as to whether a second application would be better. If so, do it and re-assemble.  It is true that the catalyst does affect things slightly ...

It sounds like someone has tapped the pins to press the coils against the plate. Clumsy attempts to tap pins can leave irregular coils. This is a worn out piano. A new string will need call-backs to stabilize. If you put a drop of CA on the coil at the ...

Hi all, Yet another CA question: The situation: an old Ellington vertical in a cabin way in the woods, marginal condition. The customer complained about a pin that wouldn't hold. On investigation, I found that the coil was right against the plate and ...

Some wash their cloth (to shrink it) and then iron it in order to increase density.  Pwg ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH 603-686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

Inertia is a force F that needs to be applied to the mass M in order to develop acceleration A . Second Law of Newton. This force is zero or next to zero if no acceleration ( First Newton law) or very little acceleration. Acceleration is equal velocity ...

(Note correction in first paragraph should read *inertia* not leverage) The lead actually plays a pretty small role in the overall inertia.  Most of the inertia comes from the relationship between the leverage and the hammer mass (about 70%).  The key ...

There are discussions on Gray Market Yamahas on Piano world. I copied this part from 2008: .Both mdls.you are refering to are considered gray market pianos in the USA and were never sold new via Yamaha USA.There are actually 3 different W mdls.W101,W102,W103.The ...

I plugged your serial number  into the Yamaha website serial number look up and got this: The entered serial number  W2766222  was not made for the US market , OR this may not be Acoustic Pianos Serial Number. Please verify. From another website ...

As far as I know, Yes. As per the Pierce Piano Atlas, they seem to be the same age as the used Yamaha Japanese suppliers have on record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -Matt Crudo, RPT ------Original Message------ Do Yamaha grey ...

Thank you for the check in, Jurgen. I appreciate your efforts for the trade. Mainly asking to see if someone has a set they no longer use and would like to sell. ------------------------------ David Brown Garland TX ------------------------------

We've sold several Yamaha and Kawai uprights and grands from DoReMi and the serial #s in my experience are all original legit #s. Gary Bruce CLICK HERE to schedule your next piano tuning. 405-413-8863 (cell) ...

No authoritative answer for you David. However, we do see many grey market Yamahas in Florida and it's always appeared to me that there is no difference between serial numbers on regular and grey market pianos. It appears that if they were made in Japan, ...

Interesting discussion. I don't do that many key bushings but I have found that for me, dry-fitting cloth into the mortise and putting it on the frame gave me a different result than gluing a bushing in and letting it dry overnight. I found I had to go ...

I think most of the German manufacturers probably buy their keysets ready made, at least to the extent of a keyframe with bushed keys on it. So they are probably Kluge for the most part, possibly Czech. That is not certain knowledge, but it was the case ...

Fred, I agree about the right cloth thickness and the "feel" of the caul/felt in the given mortise. I does take me some time to decide on the appropriate cloth.  One thing I find interesting to puzzling, that I see in some European bushings from the ...

Do Yamaha grey market serial numbers correspond to regular serial numbers in terms of DOM? ------------------------------ David Love RPT www.davidlovepianos.com davidlovepianos@comcast.net 415 407 8320 ------------------------------

Exactly where the point of pivot lies depends on a number of things. Most balance rails are beveled from the middle of the balance pin, so if the felt bushing is fairly thin, and there isn't too much paper and card, the pivot will be close to the middle ...

Doug, that was probably Shiedmayer, I think one of the children lives in the states, I met her at a performing arts conference one year. One thing I tell clients asking for this kind of advice is that if they get a top flight instrument, their institution ...

I measured note 88 as 0.032, and it has a yellow color, likely phosphor bronze.  But, I didn't think to measure elsewhere along the scale.  I hope they didn't taper spring size bass to treble like more common rep springs often do.   ------------------------------ ...

Eric Picture attached.     ------------------------------ David Love RPT www.davidlovepianos.com davidlovepianos@comcast.net 415 407 8320 ------------------------------

Fred and all. A Celeste maker was exhibiting in St. Louis a few years ago. Anyone remember who that was? The instrument was amazing. Doug Garman, RPT Doug Garman Piano Service 817-578-4796 Schedule your next tuning appointment at: https://gazelleapp.io/scheduling/Qt0mmtkYGCKNjCLFVjT3Wdjv ...

Fred, This would be used by not only the SC Phil, but our USC orchestra for basically Nutcracker (several performances every year) and whatever else they use it for. It has to be good, not a digital joke of an instrument. We are wondering ...

That's a judgment call. How important is it? And what are the alternatives? (Borrow, find a used one, use an electronic emulator). I'd leave that to the ones making the spending decisions, and simply state the facts. A Yamaha will probably work for their ...

The method I wrote about was inserting a thin shim under the back of the punching (doesn't work on an accelerated action), and included a picture of the method.  That does change the key level sligihtly (depends on the thickness of the shim, I use thin ...

Thanks Fred and all, Yes, Shiedmeyer is the only real celeste. I hear that Tchaikovski actually discovered this instrument and snuck in back home and didn't reveal it until its' debut to keep all others away from it. Ha! It still is the ...

We have a Yamaha at UNM (purchased by the band director without consulting me). The tone bars are much narrower, with a sound to match - they are 1/2" wide, matching the width of the backs of the keys, compared to 1 1/2" on "real" celestes. That's how ...

A pair of bending pliers like these , with round and concave jaw surfaces, works well for this kind of fabrication. It holds the wire while you pull it around the round jaw as needed, and allows for different degrees of bend. ------------------------------ ...

Jim, I think cloth thickness choice is maybe more important than caul size choice. It's a question of how you select your cloth relative to your caul. (I've never used brass cauls, always used Spurlock's except for when I made my own prior to him making ...

Yes, it is a great tool but no longer in production as BKB have closed shop.  I was in conversation with them last fall to see if there is a way to resurrect the tool or get a few dozen of them. There is still an outside chance but I am currently swamped ...

Hi all, In our shop we use Jahn-Pianoteille's pre-glued key bushing cloth from Germany. This is what we install when we build new keysets because the results are so consistent. Cost for the pre-glued cloth is about $15 USD per keyboard (~3 meters / keyset) ...

Hi Jim, I agree with you and John on this, it will be ok as long as the key goes through the magic line at some point. But ok isn't necessarily optimal.  If the magic line is crossed very early, say right at the beginning of travel, the friction will ...

David Love's article appeared in June or July 2015, I believe.  I seem to recall reading it while attending the Denver convention that summer. ------------------------------ Kent Burnside, RPT Franklin TN 615.430.0653 ------------------------------

The one time I used VS Profelt it softened the glue and they came out. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com http://www.pianocapecod.com ------------------------------

I made one on site with .029" wire, #12. Tricky but easier with a jig. Gary Bruce Registered Piano Technician ------Original Message------ Does anyone have a source for the unusual Haines Bros. repetition springs?  This small grand from 1931 ...

Just a follow-up on my earlier post regarding VS Profelt: Yes, Pianotek does indeed have some cursory instructions on their website. However, they say it's a "miracle" treatment, and say to soak the bushings. Too bad the ingredients aren't listed. ------------------------------ ...