NEWS

THE PIANO TECHNICIANS GUILD
4444 FOREST AVE.
KANSAS CITY, KS 66106
PHONE: (913) 432-9975

AREA PIANO TECHNICIAN COMPLETES ADVANCED TRAINING

Duane McGuire of Clinton, UT recently completed an intensive three-day seminar conducted by the Piano Technicians Guild.

“Grand Action Regulation in 37-Steps” covered all phases of tuning and regulation of grand pianos. Attendees learned how to increase action control, even movement, maximize the dynamic range and achieve the fastest speed of repetition available. The course also included a detailed demonstration and explanation of the 37 steps method of regulating a grand piano alternating with guided practice on each step.

Duane passed a final regulation skills test at the end of class.

“Piano technicians don’t necessarily learn their trade through years of personal instruction these days,” said Jim Coleman, RPT, President of the PTG. “Today’s discriminating players demand skilled technicians and this class is one of the ways technicians can learn to offer the highest level of service.”

Limited to 10 participants, the hands-on class offered by PTG is the successor to the well-respected  “Little Red Schoolhouse” program offered by Yamaha Corporation of America. Yamaha approached PTG in January 2012 asking if the association would be interested in taking over the program. PTG jumped at the opportunity and began working with Yamaha to ensure a successful continuation and expansion of the class.

The result is a class that takes the best parts of the previous program but extends it, ensuring those who take it acquire skills no matter the piano manufacturer.

“These twenty-four hours in intensive instruction really helped me to hone my skills in grand piano regulation,” said Duane. “A great deal of sensitivity is required with these skills, and that sensitivity is now sharper than ever.”

Duane McGuire with instructor Elizabeth Ward at PTG classroom in Kansas City

The Piano Technicians Guild is the world’s premier source of piano service expertise. It promotes the highest possible standards of piano service by providing opportunities for professional development, by recognizing technical competence through examinations and by advancing the interests of its members.

The casters on a grand piano are purely decorative! Attempting to move a grand piano by rolling on the casters at the bottom of the piano leg can be disastrous.

Recently such a disaster did occur at a nearby school I serve. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the rear leg was ripped apart, and the tail of the piano came crashing down onto the gym floor. This particular piano had replacement rollers at the base of each leg, which made the piano roll more smoothly, but these casters did nothing to prevent breakage when the rear leg encountered an obstruction on the floor.

Click on the photo below to see a slide show of the repair:

Grand Leg Repair (click to see all the photos of this project)

This Kurtzmann upright spent its 93rd birthday in my shop undergoing reconditioning:

• Replaced casters
• Polished pedals
• Rebuilt pedal trapwork
• Repaired, cleaned and polished case
• Replaced keytops
• Treated key bushings
• Reshaped hammers
• Replaced dampers
• Cleaned and lubricated action
• Replaced bridle straps
• Regulated the action
• Tuned to concert pitch

The result is a new life for a fine old instrument.  This is a piano for the serious musician on a budget.  The touch is silky smooth, and the sound is full throughout the range -  something you won’t find in smaller instruments.  You can buy a piano with a prettier case, but you’ll spend many times more to get a better instrument!

Price: $1,250 Sold!

Price includes one in-home tuning, 1-year warranty, normal delivery in Davis or Weber County.  Extra delivery charge applies for more than three steps or for difficult turns at delivery site.   Utah sales tax is applicable.

This Yamaha P202 was built in 1987 at Yamaha’s Thomaston, Georgia factory.   It’s had an easy life in a Utah home.

I have performed the following on this piano to recondition it for sale:

• Re-shaped and voiced hammers to develop warm consistent tone throughout the dynamic range.
• Adjusted and lubricated the action, for full artistic expression.
• Made minor repairs to the case.
• Cleaned and polished case.
• Tuned to concert pitch.

This piano is an excellent purchase for  beginning and intermediate piano students.   Yamaha produced this model with the school  market in mind.  You will find this model (and its sister P22) everywhere in universities, schools, and churches.  It’s simple lines make it a nice fit anywhere.   When new, the current P22 model has a list price of  $5,999.  When you come play this piano, you’ll find that that it plays and sounds like a new Yamaha.   You will find some normal wear on the case, but you’ll also need to look carefully to find flaws.

The sale includes:
- Bench.
- One free in-home tuning.
- Free “normal delivery” in Davis or Weber Counties. (No difficult turns, 4 or fewer steps to go up or down)
- One year warranty.

Price: $2,100.00  SOLD!

I enjoyed the revealed beauty in these 98 year old keys.  In preparation for installing new keytops, I cleaned the key set, and removed 1.2 mm from the top and front of the keys.  The removal of this precise depth of wood preserves the action geometry of the key when installing new keytops. (The original keytop was 0.9 mm; the new plastic keytop is 2.1 mm; 2.1mm – 0.9mm = 1.2mm )

In August, I took the time to attend a four-day class on the installation of high-performance piano action parts made by Wessel, Nickel & Gross. The class was held at the Mason & Hamlin Piano factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts.   I was honored to be in attendance  and to hear the insider perspectives Bruce Clark, the designer of the parts and the chief engineer for Mason & Hamlin.    I am now recognized by Wessell, Nickel & Gross as a certified installer of their piano action parts.

The parts are currently used in new Mason and Hamlin pianos, and they are available to rebuilders for the renovation of aging grand pianos.  I’m impressed with the innovation, design features, and quality which has gone into the manufacture of these parts.   My first action rebuild using the parts will be my own 1911 Charles Steiff  grand piano.  Stay tuned!

I spent Wednesday through Saturday at the annual Western and Pacific (WESTPAC) Piano Technician’s Conference. The event provided fantastic continuing education. I am so grateful for the contributions of the masters of my trade!

I gained new insights through the following presentations:

All Day with Fazioli — an all-day seminar on voicing the Fazioli piano, presented by Claudio Valent, Fazioli’s chief concert technician and Rick Baldassin

Grand Dampers De-mystified — A hands-on class on grand damper regulation, presented by Rick Baldassin, Michael Spreeman, and Carl Teel

Customers for Life — An insightful presentation on raising the level of piano service by Rick Florence

Advanced Topics in Tuning Stability — presented by Steve Brady

Soundboard Nuts and Bolts — a technical presentation on soundboard design parameters by Jude Revely

Understanding Action Ratios and Hammer Weights — a technical presentation on grand action rebuilding by Dale Erwin

Having the right tool at the right time can make all the difference.   The video below shows the use of a cute miniature detail plane, to make a repair on a key prior to installing a new keytop.

The photos below show my work of yesterday on a customer’s keys. These are from a 1950′s Gulbransen spinet piano.
Before

After

Its time for a new project. This is a 5′ 8″ Knabe Grand which was originally manufactured in 1919 (Serial Number 87958). I’ve had it in the shop for some time, and have enjoyed playing it as is … but it will be wonderful in a few months! Based on my current evaluation of the piano, I anticipate doing the following:

• Repair Bridge
• Replace Bridge Pins
• Re-guild Plate
• Clean Soundboard
• Replace Agraffes
• Re-String
• Shape Hammers
• Replace Dampers
• Recondition Action
• Replace keytops
• Rebush keys
• Repair Pedal Lyre
• Refinish case

This piano was once a player piano, but the mechanism is long gone.   Unlike some other manufacturers, this player was placed on a standard size case … so the 5′ 8″ piano has the same string lengths as 5′ 8″ Knabes without the player mechanism.

1919 Knabe – “Before” Pictures — Click on the photo to see more pictures.