PianoTech Archive

From Marshall Gisondi <pianotune05@hotmail.com>

Hi everyone,
I received an e-mail about a 64-key Aeolian Melodipro Piano with a Helpinstill pickup in it.  If I agree to take this piano job, the tuning, is there anything that must be removed in order to access the strings or is this Helpinstill Pickup located in a different area of the piano?  This is something I'm not familiar with, well the brand name yes, but the Helpinstill Pickup no.  Any ideas would be great or things to be aware of.  thanks
Marshall
ps. Today I finished up a tuning.  I tuned in a living room which became qutie dark as I finished up.  As i finised up, the customers kids who were home asked if ineded light.  Thank the Lord for my vision impaired skills in tuning, who needs sight right? :-)  I'm fortunate to have sight, but if I can't use it i'm still in ok shape.
Marshall
 
Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
Marshall's Piano Service
pianotune05@hotmail.com
215-510-9400
www.phillytuner.com 
Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org Vancouver, WA





 		 	   		  

From John Ross <jrpiano@eastlink.ca>

If I remember right the Helpinstall piano was a fold up piano used by bands.
I don't remember any particular problem.
Have them set it up for you.
It was 20 or 30 years ago that I tuned it. So if it is newer, it might be a completely different animal.
Seems as if I had to plug the holes for the screws that held the plate in.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia
On 2010-12-03, at 7:01 PM, Marshall Gisondi wrote:

> Hi everyone,
> I received an e-mail about a 64-key Aeolian Melodipro Piano with a Helpinstill pickup in it.  If I agree to take this piano job, the tuning, is there anything that must be removed in order to access the strings or is this Helpinstill Pickup located in a different area of the piano?  This is something I'm not familiar with, well the brand name yes, but the Helpinstill Pickup no.  Any ideas would be great or things to be aware of.  thanks
> Marshall
> ps. Today I finished up a tuning.  I tuned in a living room which became qutie dark as I finished up.  As i finised up, the customers kids who were home asked if ineded light.  Thank the Lord for my vision impaired skills in tuning, who needs sight right? :-)  I'm fortunate to have sight, but if I can't use it i'm still in ok shape.
> Marshall
>  
> Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
> Marshall's Piano Service
> pianotune05@hotmail.com
> 215-510-9400
> www.phillytuner.com 
> Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org Vancouver, WA
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

From Terry Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>

John - The Helpinstill pickup is not a piano, but rather an electronic  
pickup that can be mounted on an acoustic piano for amplification.

Marshall - There is likely nothing special to do. It all depends on  
where they have the pickups mounted - but usually there is no  
significant effect on your tuning procedure. I service several pianos  
with these units installed and they are just little bars that sit  
under or over the strings. No big deal.

Terry Farrell

On Dec 3, 2010, at 6:15 PM, John Ross wrote:

> If I remember right the Helpinstall piano was a fold up piano used  
> by bands.
> I don't remember any particular problem.
> Have them set it up for you.
> It was 20 or 30 years ago that I tuned it. So if it is newer, it  
> might be a completely different animal.
> Seems as if I had to plug the holes for the screws that held the  
> plate in.
> John Ross
> Windsor, Nova Scotia
> On 2010-12-03, at 7:01 PM, Marshall Gisondi wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone,
>> I received an e-mail about a 64-key Aeolian Melodipro Piano with a  
>> Helpinstill pickup in it.  If I agree to take this piano job, the  
>> tuning, is there anything that must be removed in order to access  
>> the strings or is this Helpinstill Pickup located in a different  
>> area of the piano?  This is something I'm not familiar with, well  
>> the brand name yes, but the Helpinstill Pickup no.  Any ideas would  
>> be great or things to be aware of.  thanks
>> Marshall
>> ps. Today I finished up a tuning.  I tuned in a living room which  
>> became qutie dark as I finished up.  As i finised up, the customers  
>> kids who were home asked if ineded light.  Thank the Lord for my  
>> vision impaired skills in tuning, who needs sight right? :-)  I'm  
>> fortunate to have sight, but if I can't use it i'm still in ok shape.
>> Marshall
>>
>> Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
>> Marshall's Piano Service
>> pianotune05@hotmail.com
>> 215-510-9400
>> www.phillytuner.com
>> Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org 
>>  Vancouver, WA
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

From "Paul McCloud" <pmc033@earthlink.net>

If this is like the one I occasionally service,  you shouldn't have too many problems tuning it.  It has two strings per unison.  The keyboard folds down, with "forks" at the end of the key that hook into  stickers like on a spinet.  Not too much tone out of the thing, but hey, it's portable and has a  real soundboard (hmm, is there one?  Memory-BAD).  Interesting contraption anyway.
    Paul McCloud
    San Diego


----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Ross 
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Sent: 12/03/2010 3:15:17 PM 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] question about a 64 key piano


If I remember right the Helpinstall piano was a fold up piano used by bands.
I don't remember any particular problem.
Have them set it up for you.
It was 20 or 30 years ago that I tuned it. So if it is newer, it might be a completely different animal.
Seems as if I had to plug the holes for the screws that held the plate in.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia

On 2010-12-03, at 7:01 PM, Marshall Gisondi wrote:


Hi everyone,
I received an e-mail about a 64-key Aeolian Melodipro Piano with a Helpinstill pickup in it.  If I agree to take this piano job, the tuning, is there anything that must be removed in order to access the strings or is this Helpinstill Pickup located in a different area of the piano?  This is something I'm not familiar with, well the brand name yes, but the Helpinstill Pickup no.  Any ideas would be great or things to be aware of.  thanks
Marshall
ps. Today I finished up a tuning.  I tuned in a living room which became qutie dark as I finished up.  As i finised up, the customers kids who were home asked if ineded light.  Thank the Lord for my vision impaired skills in tuning, who needs sight right? :-)  I'm fortunate to have sight, but if I can't use it i'm still in ok shape.
Marshall
 
Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
Marshall's Piano Service
pianotune05@hotmail.com
215-510-9400
www.phillytuner.com 
Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org Vancouver, WA

From "David Stocker" <firtreepiano@hotmail.com>

I serviced one for four or five years in a row when a band would make their annual appearance at a local lounge. This one was a more typical 64 key Aeolian product with the Helpinstil pickup installed at the factory. Two string unisons, no fold-up keyboard. I doubt an special knowledge is required, other than typical technician outsmarting engineer smarts we need every day. 

David Stocker, RPT
Tumwater, WA

From: Paul McCloud 
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 19:41
To: pianotech@ptg.org 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] question about a 64 key piano

If this is like the one I occasionally service,  you shouldn't have too many problems tuning it.  It has two strings per unison.  The keyboard folds down, with "forks" at the end of the key that hook into  stickers like on a spinet.  Not too much tone out of the thing, but hey, it's portable and has a  real soundboard (hmm, is there one?  Memory-BAD).  Interesting contraption anyway.
    Paul McCloud
    San Diego


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John Ross 
  To: pianotech@ptg.org
  Sent: 12/03/2010 3:15:17 PM 
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] question about a 64 key piano

  If I remember right the Helpinstall piano was a fold up piano used by bands. 
  I don't remember any particular problem.
  Have them set it up for you.
  It was 20 or 30 years ago that I tuned it. So if it is newer, it might be a completely different animal.
  Seems as if I had to plug the holes for the screws that held the plate in.
  John Ross
  Windsor, Nova Scotia

  On 2010-12-03, at 7:01 PM, Marshall Gisondi wrote:


    Hi everyone,
    I received an e-mail about a 64-key Aeolian Melodipro Piano with a Helpinstill pickup in it.  If I agree to take this piano job, the tuning, is there anything that must be removed in order to access the strings or is this Helpinstill Pickup located in a different area of the piano?  This is something I'm not familiar with, well the brand name yes, but the Helpinstill Pickup no.  Any ideas would be great or things to be aware of.  thanks
    Marshall
    ps. Today I finished up a tuning.  I tuned in a living room which became qutie dark as I finished up.  As i finised up, the customers kids who were home asked if ineded light.  Thank the Lord for my vision impaired skills in tuning, who needs sight right? :-)  I'm fort unate to have sight, but if I can't use it i'm still in ok shape.
    Marshall
     
    Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician
    Marshall's Piano Service
    pianotune05@hotmail.com
    215-510-9400
    www.phillytuner.com 
    Graduate of The School of Piano Technology for the Blind www.pianotuningschool.org Vancouver, WA