Edit to this: I have been saying double escapement, and meant simultaneous escapement every time. I'm referring to regulating in the action in a way that the jack toe and rep lever hit their button/screw at exactly the same time: simultaneous escapement. ...
Hi Maggie! In the mentioned article from Jim Laleggio, it seems that the jack tender's angle is not specifically the functioning interaction (given that it is positioned within a range that it drive the knuckle properly). Rather, it is the ≤90º relationship ...
Thanks for your added knowledge, Ed. What about posterior and anterior? That seems to work well as they refer to the structure itself, instead of requiring a reference point, and I think we're universally inclined to think of the backcheck area as behind ...
Distal vs. Proximal - What's the Difference? Edited by Tayyaba Rehman - By Fiza Rafique - Updated on September 21, 2023 Distal refers to a location farther from a point of reference, usually the center of the body or point of attachment. ...
Registration is now open for the June 22-26, 2026 hands-on training seminar! Find more details here . ------------------------------ Benjamin Sanchez, RPT (256) 947-9999 www.professional-piano-services.com www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com www.PianoCraftTechnicalSchool.com ...
Should we also refer to sinister and dexter keys? ------------------------------ Larry Messerly, RPT Bringing Harmony to Homes www.lacrossepianotuning.com ljmesserly@gmail.com 928-899-7292 ------------------------------
Greetings, David's approach to setting jack position, (and, could we refer to its position as 'distal' or 'proximal' instead front of action or back?), is much like Cliff Gears proposed in the 1970's. Cliff taught that you should play the note ...
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Yes, that is correct. You can view string makers on Youtube flattening or roughing the ends of the core before winding the copper. There is a hex core on universal strings so flattening it isn't needed. You could take an old dead string and unwind ...
Greetings, My friend and esteemed colleague, Ed Whitting, RPT (who, among his many other accomplishments, worked for the L. A. Philharmonic for many years) brings this perspective to the discussion: "Regarding stage time on a performance piano: the ...
Gerry - How long ago were you doing these classes? Do you have notes or other sorts of documentation? Do you still employ these methods (to the extent that you still do any of this work, as opposed to your other full time employment of finding funny/quirky ...
I have been waiting to see some reference to the core of wound strings---that the core is hexagonal for the first---inch?--- for grip, then round. Trimming the winding below that area ruins the string. Or am I missing something? ------------------------------ ...
As Allan recalled the class, I was the one who worked with and developed various methods of using laser(s) with piano actions.Gave a class at several events with a jig developed. The reason I wound up with the straight line laser was it was compact ...
I think learning to splice bass strings is a very important skill to develop. Except the lowest Monochords, which may be nearly impossible to splice, a spliced bass string in the speaking length will sound at least as good, and usually much better than ...
At NIU, the two pianos in the recital hall, a Hamburg C and a Grotrian 225, are kept in the room, which has a flat floor, so sometimes one or both pianos will be in position for a recital, sometimes neither, depending on the rehearsal or event. Neither ...
Hey Adrian, Nice to see your post! We have one piano that is always unlocked (the least of them, none of which are nine-footers) in each of our performance spaces. So anyone that has reserved the space automatically has access to those. Access to ...
Hi CAUT list, I'm curious if at other institutions whether students needing to rehearse with a 9' piano must schedule it out in advance, or whether there's just a 9' parked out on a stage and available for anyone with access to a key to use at any time. ...
Yeah, I have to admit, when I replied I was thinking strictly of monochords. Bichords are _much_ more problematic to splice in the speaking length, and wound trichhords are right out -- the splice would probably bang into the adjacent string.
While speaking length splices can be totally acceptable on all but the finest pianos, in unisons that are wound bi-chords or wound tri-chords, speaking length splices can present serious hurdles to string leveling and the tunabilty of unisons. ...
I concur with Paul. Speaking length splices, with a bit of the copper trimmed, sound surprisingly good. In my experience they usually sound completely normal. ------------------------------ John Pope University of Kentucky School of Music Lexington, ...
Richard, I recall seeing someone selling a laser-based system for doing key leveling, a "shade tree" version of what large piano manufacturers use in high production situations. Could it be that you saw the same thing, but may have misremembered it ...
Thank you, Parker, Chris, David. I certainly agree with your references to hammer line following plate curvature. I also think the laser level is a quick way to set hammer blow distance for the "first-pass" regulation. I see that my inquiry was not ...
Admitting ignorance of the laser technology available for this purpose, so thoughts/comments are likely naive to irrelevant, but who's counting? What are the outstanding advantages of laser levels in this application? Are they more accurate (for someone ...
Hi All Thanks for all your good advice!! It was very helpful! Mary
Hi Paul, I was writing from my own experience, having tried this multiple times and having observed the work of others who've tried it. I've just never been satisfied with the results. If you've had the opposite experience, I'm glad to hear it. ...
The exact order doesn't matter too much because you have to go through the whole process more than once. -chris ------------------------------ Chernobieff Piano Restorations chrisppff@gmail.com Youtube@chernobieffpiano 865-986-7720 (text only please) ...
Honestly, i think its more important that the hammer line follow the curvature of the plate, so hammer blow and everything else that follows is consistent. ------------------------------ Chernobieff Piano Restorations chrisppff@gmail.com Youtube@chernobieffpiano ...
You can find an electronic level on Amazon for around $10. Projects to 25 feet ------------------------------ Parker Leigh RPT Winchester VA (540) 722-3865 ------------------------------
Mary, If we're talking about Bb1 (in the bichord section) and it broke at the agraffe, that's an indicator that the piano has fatigue problems and you can expect more strings to break. This type usually breaks under heavy impact. Hopefully ...
Hello All, Can anyone tell me who makes the laser level for creating a level hammer line? I bought one years ago and one of the level bubbles has leaked dry. The level cube was made by Strait-Line, 1.5"x1.5"x1.5", and has a 5mW laser. I have not been ...
Following up on Steven's point about right angles, let me share how I think about it. Others can correct me if I make a mistake. If the jack is too far under the knuckle and isn't 90⁰ to the hammer shank, it will start pushing up kind of backwards. ...
Well, Daniel. I now realize that when you said "read all the way to the end..." you were very likely referring to the end of Part 2 of Jason's article, or rather, the end of the complete article. Part 1 finished with the description of jack and rep ...
Roger G - William didn't call you a 'crank'; he said you 'sounded' like one. On the other hand, you are right that you didn't disagree with him, but your coyness doesn't ultimately serve anyone. It would be better (I think) if you would be ...
William, Did I disagree with you? Call me a crank if that pleases you, I'm thick skinned. Roger ------------------------------ Roger Gable RPT Gable Piano Everett WA (425) 252-5000 ------------------------------
In the case of a speaking length splice, removing some of the wrap actually helps offset the fact that the splice itself is adding mass at that point. I agree that a new bass string is the proper way to do things, but I have done a few speaking length ...
Robin, Again, I am short on time (thanks for the good wishes!), but my opinion is that the term "double escapement" is a misnomer (simultaneous or not), a catch phrase coined by Mr. Errard, perhaps for marketing advantage. This said, it certainly has ...
Hi Ben: This is not my experience. I tune a C3 at a venue where they regularly break strings. I have spliced dozens of strings by removing some of the winding in the speaking length and tying a new piece of string. They sound fine, and don't go out ...
I appreciate your wisdom and experience David! Hope you have a lovely vacation, and hopefully you're not living near the McCallister's neighborhood. Great to have the perspective that proper jack function was found on the shallow side of jack-knuckle ...
I didn't see the replies when I replied. You got some good advice! ------------------------------ Maggie Jusiel, RPT Athens, WV (304)952-8615 mags@timandmaggie.net ------------------------------
The copper is softer than the steel. Wire cutters can easily cut it with minimal pressure, and you just hold back to not cut the steel wire. HOWEVER, it can more easily buzz after it has been peeled back. Gently, very gently, use pliers to compress the ...
Hi Mary, If you cut off the copper windings, you'll change the tone that the string produces. Once you put it back into the piano, the unison it creates will make a very weird sound and won't ever produce the same clean tone again. It will always ...
I use the center pin flush cutting pliers. They are not hardened to cut piano wire, but will cut the copper easily. I turn the wire as I'm cutting in the same direction as the winding so it doesn't unravel. The swaged ends are usually about an inch ...
Can anybody tell me how to cut the copper coil without cutting the wire to remove some of the winding. A school called and said Bb1 broke so I may need to remove some of the winding to tie the string. I was not able to find a YouTube video on that. ...
Roger, if you want to disagree with me in this thread, i welcome your commentary. After all this forum also serves as an arena for ideas, does it not? I know I am swimming upstream against what may be the conventional wisdom, so if you think I am in ...
Fred, I have use StewMac's fret erasers to polish the V bar, and they go up to 8000 grit. i have used these kinds of erasers to polish my ski edges for a long time ------------------------------ William Truitt RPT Bridgewater NH (603) 744-2277 --- ...
Hi Jim, Thanks for the help finding the manual. Here are a couple of more direct links: ViperTuner - Beta Preview ViperTuner - Beta Preview Next-generation piano tuning software in active development. Physics-based acoustic ...
Robin, Thank you for writing. I'm a bit short on time as we are getting ready to go away on vacation (everybody informing their favorite burglars?), so I must answer quickly and globally here. You may be surprised how far toward the front of the ...
Thanks David, I appreciate your reply and the applied method of your approach. Regardless of what I conclude about my "drop-window vs simultaneous escapement" inquisition, I'll be applying your method in the future. Since your approach is a "set by ...
Micron graded abrasive sheets go down to 1 micron. They can be used to polish optical plastic (lenses and the like - including keytops) to a gloss finish. 12000 grit is close to 2 microns. I have purchased sets of micro finishing "paper" like this ...
Thanks for the insights, Steven. I am indeed hoping to figure out if you're right about a cause for the problem that I'm overlooking. The jack and shank maintaining a right angle makes sense to me too – and the Jim Laleggio article that Blaine cited ...