| TECHNICAL SERVICES |
| This page will inform you about piano shop operations and stages in piano restoration, tuning, refinishing, stringing plus a variety of other information. We attempt to explain in a non-technicalway the basic methods and techniques for the general piano owner or musician. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Below you will find information on the major work aspects of rebuilding and restoration. Included is background and a personal view of the piano trades. On following pages you will find what it takes to be a good piano tuner, the tools, the attitude and background. My purpose is not to be hypercritical but to discriminate between excellence and mediocrity. After all, it is your piano that is at risk. To learn more about how to keep your piano in top shape, see the next page, "UNDERSTANDING THE PIANO". As always, there is a variety of opinion but I trust the core points here will always be validated by top technicians. |
| ALL BEGINS WITH THE INSPECTION AND TEARDOWN OF THE PIANO. ALL PARTS MUST BE LABELED, SORTED AND MARKED FOR REPLACEMENT, REFURBISHING, REPAIR OR IN SOME CASES THEY MUST BE CUSTOM MADE. THIS IS WHERE GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL INSPECTED PARTS AND AREAS ARE NOTED ON THE WORK SHEET FOR THE SPECIFIC WORK REQUIRED. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNSTRING A PIANO TO REPAIR A SOUND- BOARD LATER. FEW SHOPS GO TO THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL. AT THE END OF THE JOB THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL WILL SHOW ON THE FACE OF THE OWNER AND IN THE PIANO! |
| IN THIS ART CASE PIANO EXAMPLE, THE REFINISHER MUST UNDERSTAND AND TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE VEENERS AND JOINTS BEFORE STRIPPING. IF YOU DON'T, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY FIND THAT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO REGLUE HIDDEN PARTS. MANY OF THE DECORATIONS ARE ATTACHED WITH GLUES WHICH REACT DIFFERENTLY TO VARIOUS SOLVENTS. ONLY FINISHERS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN WOOD WORK CAN TRULY KNOW WHAT THE RESULT WILL BE...EVEN THEN THERE ARE ALWAYS PROBLEMS THAT THE TRAINEE FINISHER WITH JUST A FEW YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WILL NEVER NOTICE UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. STAINING AND MATCHING COLOR ON WOOD IS AN ART NOT A TRADE. |
| THIS EXPAMPLE SHOWS A NEW PIN PLANK, BASS STRINGS AND PINS. THE PIN BLOCK MUST BE DRILLED TO THE NEXT OVERSIZE WITH PRECISION AND CONSTANT CHECKING FOR ALIGNMENT AND DEPTH. THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR A MECHANIC WHO WORKS ON CARS OR A CARPENTER. THIS IS PRECISION WORK AND CAN RESULT IN A PRECISION FIT AND LONG TUNING LIFE OR CAN RUIN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF WORK IF NOT DONE WELL. PIN TENSION MUST BE WITHIN THE LIMITS AFTER 10 OR 15 SHOP TUNINGS. IT TAKES A GOOD CRAFTSMAN YEARS TO MASTER THIS TECHNIQUE. |
| BRIDGES THAT THE STRINGS BEAR ON, ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE EVEN A MILLIMETER OFF CAN BE A DISASTER BECAUSE THE STRING POSITION WILL BE OFF FROM THE HAMMER STRIKE POINT. THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF BRIDGES AND BRIDGE CAPS ARE SURGICAL IN NATURE. IF THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST DIVERGENCE BETWEENTHE OLD BRIDGE POSITION AND THE NEW, THE REST OF THE WORK MUST BE STOPPED UNTIL THIS IS SOLVED. UNLESS YOU HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS ASPECT, YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF DISASTERS. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW IF THE CRAFTSMAN HAS BACKGROUND... NOT JUST A NICE SMILE AND ENERGY. |
| THIS UPRIGHT ACTION IS READY FOR REPAIR AND PARTS REPLACEMENT. THIS IS A TEDIOUS, TIME CONSUMING JOB WITH MANY FRUSTRATIONS AND DELAYS. PARTS BREAK OR DO NOT WORK FOR ONE OF MANY REASONS. ACTION WORK SEPARATES THE REAL TECHNICIANS FROM THE "WANNA BEES". THE TECH MUST BE PREPARED FOR SEVERAL DAYS OF CLOSE PRECISE WORK. THE REWARDS ARE GREAT WHEN AN ACTION HAS BEEN PROFESSIONALY REBUILT. THE PIANO PLAYS JUST LIKE NEW...SOMETIMES BETTER. |
| HAMMERS ARE THE CONTACT POINT WITH THE STRINGS. THE USEFULL LIFE OF A SET OF HAMMERS IS ABOUT 25 YEARS AVERAGE. AFTER THAT TIME, THEY BECOME HARD, PACKED AND GROOVED FROM DUST, MOISTURE AND CONSTANT POUNDING AGAINST THE STRINGS.THE TONE IS MORE BRITTLE OR BRIGHTER, SOMETIMES "TINNY" AS IN AN OLD BAROOM PIANO. THE TRUE TEST OF A TECHNICIAN IS TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE OLD HAMMERS, AND INSTALL THE NEW ONES AT THE CORRECT ANGLE AND REGULATE THE ACTION TO ORIGINAL SPECS. SOMETIMES THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO EASILY. THIS IS WHERE EXPERIENCE AND BITTER FAILURES HAVE PAVED THE WAY TOWARD EXCELLENCE. |
| THE PLATE IS THE BACKBONE OF THE PIANO. IT SUPPORTS SOME 30,000 LBS OF TENSION AND IS MADE OF CAST IRON. IT IS VERY HARD YET BRITTLE. EXPERTISE IS DEMANDED IN HANDLING IT. IT IS BEST LIFTED FROM THE PIANO AFTER BEING UNBOLTED WITH A HOIST. THIS ALLOWS POSITIONING FOR REINSTALLATION AFTER WORK HAS BEEN DONE. REFINISHING OR REGUILDING OF THE PLATE IS USUALLY DONE WHEN RESTRINGING. PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN TO REINSTALL WITH PROPER BOLT TENSION TO AVOID STRESS IN THINNER SECTIONS. IT USUALLY WEIGHS FROM 200 TO 300 LBS. LETTERING SHOULD BE REDONE IN FACTORY BLACK. |
| TUNING (Behind the scenes) |
| TUNING IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO DO BECAUSE THEY GET PAID TO MAKE A HOUSE CALL AND TUNE A PIANO. THERE ARE REALLY VERY FEW EXCELLENT TUNERS. THE BEST ONES ARE THOSE WHO CAN ALMOST SINGLE HANDED, TAKE A PIANO APART AND REPAIR, REBUILD, REGULATE, RESTRING, REPIN, INSTALL A NEW SOUNDBOARD, REFINISH, MAKE A NEW LEG, INSTALL KEYS, PULL THE PLATE, REGUILD THE PLATE, INSTALL HAMMERS, LEVEL THE KEYS, SPEND DAYS ON AN ACTION AND FINALLY.......TUNE. AT STEINWAY, TUNING IS THE LAST THING A TECH LEARNS. THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. TUNING COMES LAST, WHEN YOU TRULY UNDERSTAND YOUR INSTRUMENT AND YOUR CRAFT. VERY FEW TECHNICIANS MEET THESE QUALIFICATIONS. THERE ARE GOOD TUNERS WHO CAN DO SOME OPERATIONS AND CAN REFER THE MORE DIFFICULT WORK TO OTHERS MORE QUALIFIED. THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO "ONLY WANT TO TUNE" AND THEY ARE THE ONES TO WATCH CAREFULLY. THE REASONS ARE MANY, BUT PRIMAIRLY THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THEY CAUSE OR TO MAKE REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AT THE TIME OF TUNING. IT ALSO USUALLY MEANS THAT THEY REALLY DO NOT HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE PIANO OTHER THAN TO MAKE A FEW DOLLARS. COMING FROM A GERMAN BACKGROUND OF GUILD TRAINED ORGANISTS, ORGAN BUILDERS AND PIANO AND VIOLIN CRAFTSMEN, I REALIZE THE FULL IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT AND ITS OPERATIONS. ALL THIS WAS BROUGHT IN FOCUS THE DAY I VISITED THE MEYERS ORGAN PIPE FACTORY. TWO ELDER BROTHERS WERE THE TONAL DESIGNERS AND PIPEMAKERS. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT A CERTAIN REED PIPE AND ITS SPEECH PROBLEMS. I ASKED THE YOUNGER ABOUT IT AND HE THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT AND THEN SAID, "LET ME ASK MY BROTHER ABOUT THAT, HE KNOWS MORE THAT I DO". THE YOUNGER BROTHER WAS 74 YEARS OLD, THE OTHER, 81. I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE FACT THAT THE YOUNGER DEFERRED TO THE MORE EXPERIENCED BROTHER ALTHOUGH HE COULD HAVE ANSWERED MY QUESTION. IT IS TRULY AMAZING AT THE "EXPERTS" IN THE PIANO TRADES! I TRY NOT TO BE ONE, BUT RATHER STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE. |