Tuning at the Governor’s Mansion
Christmas time in Texas! It was busy holiday tuning season; getting pianos ready for holiday concerts, church events, family gatherings, and holiday gifts. One of my more high profile events was here, at the Texas Governor’s Mansion. This is a beautiful historic building and a delightful setting to work in. The building was built in 1854, designed by architect Abner Cook (no known relation). After sending my toolkit through the x-ray, I was escorted to the piano by a Texas Trooper. Happy Holidays to all!
read moreTuning at Bass Concert Hall
Tuning the 9′ Steinway D for the Steve Martin/Martin Short Performance at Bass Concert Hall a few weeks back. It’s always fun to come back to the stage just before the show when the lights are up. Did anyone see the show? Did Bernadette Peters make a cameo appearance on cornet?
read moreTraining at the Steinway factory
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a week long training session at the Steinway Factory in New York City. Just being at the historic factory is an amazing experience. The focus of the training was voicing and tone building (see services). In a small group of 4 we each worked with our own grand piano, fresh off the factory line. Under the expert instruction of Kent Webb, we spent a week developing and sculpting the tone of these majestic instruments. The experience was absolutely amazing and I am delighted to bring these...
read morePiano Technicians Guild Conference
This week I attended the annual Piano Technicians Guild Conference of the south central region. We met in Kerrville, Texas for three days at the Y O Ranch Resort. Classes are given by master technicians, technicians with specific knowledge, and people who have created new tools or materials for pianos. A good time was had by all and everyone left more knowledgeable and with an ambition create finest work possible. It seemed most of us also couldn’t resist buying at least one new tool from one of the specialty tool makers in our...
read moreHas somebody been living in my piano?
Often, when a piano is left in an unoccupied home or exiled to the garage, it can become a home for rodents. Plenty of nooks and cozy alcoves lay within every piano, along with ample nesting supplies. Rodents chew away at the felt, leather, and wood, rearranging things to suit there tastes. Then, they began to stockpile pecans, cherrios, or maybe even a head of garlic underneath the keys. it doesn’t take long before piano stops working properly. Rodents waste no time moving out when people return, but, they leave behind plenty of...
read moreTuning a Square Grand Piano
Pictured, is an 1892 square grand piano part way through a tuning. This obsolete design looks like a large coffin on four massive legs. The square grand presents a few challenges for the tuner. First, the tuning pins are located on the far side of the piano, a long reach away from the keys. This requires quite a lot of reaching, leaning, and stretching to tune the upper octaves. I’ve heard of technicians including the cost of a visit to the chiropractor along with their tuning fee, but long arms and a healthy yoga practice have kept me...
read moreSoundboard Repairs
After 102 years of dutiful service, this soundboard could go no further, in any fashion, as part of a musical instrument without thorough restoration. Fluctuation in humidity, causing many cycles of expansion and contraction, had created many long and wide cracks in this soundboard. As well, original glue joints connecting the bridges and ribs to the soundboard had been severely compromised. The sound such a piano would produce is easily imagined; the string’s tonal vibrations are only mildly amplified, but, cause much rattling and buzzing...
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