Discussion Posts

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I have sourced this part, in two variations perhaps, from Samick. It strikes me one of them served well as a crossover to Young Chang or Yamaha. ------------------------------ Floyd Gadd RPT Regina SK (306) 502-9103 ------------------------------

  • Hi there! I have a 2 double room booked at the Hyatt tues-sun and I am looking for a roommate. Text or call if interested! 530.386.7216 ------------------------------ Frances Hamilton Sierraville CA (530) 386-7216 ---------------------- ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Remove action and trapwork. Spray bottom board and inner sides with mold armor or similar non-bleaching mold preventitive product. Let sit for three days. Wipe off with Lysol wipes. Wipe clean with clean cloth. Not a small job. Use protective gloves, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I can't speak to how it would affect the lacquer, but on some surfaces sharpie can be removed by coloring over it with a dry erase marker, letting that dry and then wiping it off. When you take off the dry erase marker it takes the sharpie with it. But ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Was the bracket bent, blocking screw access? I learned a tip from Mario Igrec that he said was used in the Bosendorfer factory- Mix powdered teflon with Protek or Prolube (dubbed “milk” at the factory.) I find it very good at quieting all pedal rod bushings, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Working on a 2002 Indonesian Samick grand with sluggish jack flanges. Was this year/make one that had the Center pin issues with the plating flaking and causing this? I can never remember what years and makes were part of this problem. Thanks. ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Recently a referred customer asked me to clean the interior of an upright and ultimately tune the piano. Needless to say, I was quite perplexed to discover what needed to be cleaned was black mold. Any suggestions on how and what to chemically clean ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    0000 steel wool and water. You'll have to set aside enough time to deal with the entire lid. Go with the grain using light pressure all the way to the end of the lid and be careful not to cut through the finish. ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I usually use very fine pumice powder with a large wetted foam sponge to rub out a satin finish like this. I'll bet that would easily take off these marks. I doubt mineral spirits/benzene will remove them, but you could try. Don't use anything stronger ...

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    Sharpie on lacquer

    Posted in: Pianotech

    Hi gang, I recently found that someone used the piano lid as a writing surface to make some sort of musical notation. Writing on a piece of paper with a sharpie, which bled through the paper. Any ideas about how to clean this up? It's a lacquer finish. ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    In a previous life I taught college biology. A research paper I came across was about a new way to date DNA changes in animals to predict their life spans. Many different animals were put onto a chart that precicted their natural life spans (mice, one ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    That's what I tell my customers. A piano's life span is basically the same as people. Most last 70 - 90 years, some die at a younger age, and some can live as long as 110. But the older they get, the more "help" they need, even to the point of replacing ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I had something like that on a YC studio. It also had squeaking dampers. The easiest way to solve the problem was to remove the damper lifter rod and lube it, but when I tried to unscrew one of the hangers, they were impossible to unscrew. I didn't have ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Once a piano goes past 40 years old ANYTHING can (and likely will) happen. Owners need to know that their precious century old piano is well into its 3rd lifetime. It was never designed or intended to go that far. Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    On a slightly different note, on a 1985 Yamaha P22 I attempted to remove the damper lifter rod so as to lube it for squeak. Unfortunately the round portion that enclosed the "pin" overhang the two Philips head screws that hold each one on so much that ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    My sympathies go out to you on your five broken bass strings. I have (thankfully) not had to replace a bass string in quite a while, though I do carry a full set of universals at all times. I now "generously" drop pitch on any piano that I even suspect ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Been there, done that. Hundreds of times. Best, Peter please disregard any Siri errors Sent from my iPhone

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Are you telling me Unleashed was not about a blind piano tuner and his daughter befriending a fighter? ------------------------------ Larry Messerly, RPT Bringing Harmony to Homes www.lacrossepianotuning.com ljmesserly@gmail.com 928-899-7292 ------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    The piano that suffered 5 broken bass strings was built in the 1880s. I rarely lube strings, although sometimes I lower the pitch a bit before trying to raise it. I consider it a stress test on the piano. Breaking strings are generally a sign of age, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Let's not forget that this is not a true representation of pianos, piano technology, piano tuning, piano brands, nor is it a true representation of safe cracking. It's a movie that pulled some ideas from a lot of places to bring together a very well done ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I saw a funny Australian movie a few years back about a love-sick piano tuner. I don’t recall its name but I remember one scene where he drives to his customer’s house, gets out of his car, goes to the trunk to fetch a pair of dark sunglasses and a cane ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I don’t keep my hearing aids in a safe. John Gunderson. Registered Piano Technician 732-740-6674

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Very good point, although I could use the money. John Gunderson. Registered Piano Technician 732-740-6674

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Wim, as always… good point. John Gunderson. Registered Piano Technician 732-740-6674

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    RE: Tuner - the movie

    Posted in: Pianotech

    I know you're kidding, David, but you do have a point. On the other hand, even without mentioning PTG, are all of us now in danger of the public thinking that we're safe crackers, regardless of our association to the PTG? I don't think so.

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    5 broken bass strings sounds like a lot. If it’s not your habit, I highly recommend lubricating the bearing points on old pianos, or even unknown new(er) pianos. Once I started doing that, I break extremely few bass strings, even on old and rusty strings. ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Really bearing in mind the portrayed misuse of piano tuning sensitive hearing the PTG might have been well to have been left out of it. We really don't want to be known as the PTSCC (Piano tuners' safe cracking community) Best wishes David ...

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    RE: Tuner - the movie

    Posted in: Pianotech

    Regarding the mention of the PTG, as I said in an earlier post, I've heard that companies pay money to have their product featured or even mentioned in a movie. It might even be a requirement to follow copyright snd patent rules. I'm sure Steinway and ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    In case anyone might be interested, I looked on imdb.com (internet movie database) for '"tuner". There were about 30 titles that included the word, one from 1914. I didn't check for availability, but just the quantity was surprising, and fun! ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I saw the movie myself. I thought it was very good. I thought the representation of piano tuning and piano tuners was fairly accurate. The one thing I did notice was the lack of representation of the Piano Technicians Guild. I don't know how that happened, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Ha, reminds me of a job I took, 16 upright pianos on stage to be tuned for 32 pianists playing simultaneously. I was told they would be in tune, only needed "touch-ups." When I arrived, the pianos were A 438 to 444, and everywhere in between. Fortunately ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I seem to recall using the generic Schaff hanger on a Young Chang several years ago and it worked pretty well. Schaff # 2527, If you live in the west you might check Pacific Piano Supply and save on shipping. ------------------------------ Tremaine ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    We keep learning, even late in our careers. Yes, I sometimes think the best thing I can do for a customer is to give them a good deal, but these days I am mostly successful in resisting that urge. However, there are a few situations where I don't charge ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    What I find most often is that the low tenor has gone south. That means at least an octave of tuning, most often caused by weather. If it's a couple unisons out, here and there, I might straighten them out. Anything more I'll charge by the time it ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I go by the rule: "there is no such thing as a touch-up tuning" since I have to carefully check every note on the piano (like the dentist has to check every tooth in the mouth...no discount for less teeth). Peter Grey Piano Doctor ------------------------------ ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    I agree. "Just needs a touch-up" infers that they don't want to pay for a full tuning. I only do a "touch-up" when I've installed new strings that need to be raised... or it's ten minutes before the concert! ------------------------------ Philip Jamison ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    That's brilliant, David - thank you. ------------------------------ David Trasoff Whatcom Piano Service (360) 389-2158 david@whatcompianoservice.com ------------------------------

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Check with Mark Purney at Supply88.com . He can 3D print you one with the right measurements. I've already spoken to him about making me one, or a set, for a Samick console. ------------------------------ David Stocker, RPT Olympia WA ----------- ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    How about this: https://www.schaffpiano.com/Upright-Damper-Rod-Hinge-3-8-Wide. It may not be exact OEM, but looks like it might work, even if you had to file the hole a little. You'll have to register with Schaff if you haven't already. I'm not ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Colleagues, I am trying to source a replacement bracket (or brackets) for the damper lift rail on an older Young Chang upright (U-111). Please see attached pictures of the broken part. I was able to successfully contact Vincent Choi at Young Chang, ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Sax is pretty far from being "fixed pitch." Any sax player can and will bend pitch within a much wider range than most other wind instruments. That said, "melody instruments" (instruments that play one note) are constantly bending pitch to meet various ...

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  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Tom You can create a new discussion group on MYPTG. There are already several groups that you can join, including belly work and scaling. Wim

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Two stories. Early in my career I was asked to tune a piano in the dining room of a large church just a few miles from my house. I thought that if I told them the piano didn't need to be tuned, they would be impressed that I wanted to save them ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Hi Blaine - Been there, done that - lesson learned. I frequently do "touch up" tunings but have learned to wait until I'm finished to say anything to the client. I came across one just a few days ago. Nothing on the piano had changed more than a few ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Today I met a new customer with a nice Kawai studio console that they recently purchased from another party. The piano was at pitch and the tuning sounded good with only a few strings out, so I offered to only touch it up and charge for a simple service ...

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    mensurix 6

    Posted in: Pianotech

    Following Bernhard Stopper's death, his son inherited his estate, and the software Mensurix 5 was updated to Mensurix 6. Closed beta testing has begun. https://tunic-software.com/mensurix https://tunic-software.com/mensurix Tunic-software ...

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    Greetings, I am (once again!) on the hunt for grand action models. These would be used for instructional and experimental purposes. Steinway would be preferable, but other makes would also be considered. Contact me on this list or privately. Best, ...

  • Found someone! Thanks all. ------------------------------ Kyle Folsom Kansas City MO (636) 328-6860 ------------------------------

  • Posted in: Pianotech

    As a former symphony clarinetist, all instrumentalists in the orchestra are taught to do fine tuning constantly, or referred to as " just" tuning. Which basically means, be prepared to adjust your pitch as needed (per the situation). Each instrument ...

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  • Posted in: Pianotech

    One of my influential memories was in my senior year of high school. I am from a family of piano tuners and musicians and my high school senior year was spent at a magnet school where I was majoring in music. In a music lab I heard a recorded performance ...