Tuning my new piano

[morelia]

Well I don't know anything about pianos, and I don't have any tuning equipment but I have everything else that seems necessary. I'll just grab my pliers, hammer and a shifter and get started then.

I didn`t give you any advice because I assumed you spoke to bluedad.
From what you said above...i`m not sure what`s up.

I am just kidding around. I should have used the . I spoke to bluedad. He set me on the right track.

I had no idea they were that heavy.

Seriously though. I knew it would be but , what's in this thing? I assumed a frame with some steel, heaps of strings, a wooden box to hold it together. But this thing feels like solid rock. I picked up one end and nearly pulled a muscle trying to set it down gently. Oh no, I just remembered I'll have to move one day.

[Landphil]

Don't forget the thumb tacks in the pads for that honky tonk sound.

Did that once. Only problem was they hit the strings at an angle. Sounded great for a couple of months. Then strings started popping because the edge of the tacks were cutting them in half! Oh, what a lesson!

If only I could have had a recorder going when those strings gave way. The sound was amazing!


And now, an anecdote:

In the 80's, I toured with a Baldwin Electropro piano. I HAD to learn how to tune the beast since climate and trucking abuse would render it unplayable. Only two strings per note, but still a pain in the ass. Used a Conn Strobotuner, some felt wedges, and an actual piano tuning wrench. Somehow, I managed to keep it in tune enough for a gigging rock band. But it never sounded quite right. Years later, I learned about "stretch tuning". I tried the technique with my upright in the studio. Disastrous results. That's when I realized that piano tuning wasn't a technical issue. . .it's an art. You don't just tune the thing. You need to know how to "voice" it as well. Every piano has it's sweet spot, and no two are the same.

Hats off to the folks that know this art well, 'cause there's few of them left!

[annode]

That`s good to hear morelia.

Yeah,tuning is a very personal endeavor.
You can learm all the theory and technique..but you really have to get out there and do it for a few yrs to feel comfortable with yourself.

I learned tuning and rebuilding at Temple Univ.
Studied it there for 1 yr,then 1 yr of personal training with one of the more well know technicians in Phila,
I was in the field doing it for about a yr,but stopped it all after atime since i`m a hardcore electronics guy,and fell back into broadcasting.

The last tuning job I did was the best.I met my then girlfriend,tuning her piano,then getting shagged infront of her fireplace on a white bearskin rug....hehehe...think that helped me to make a smoother transition.

[morelia]

tuning her piano

Nice annectdote.

Have you ever heard of the brand "Victor"? Bluedad said there were many many many manufacturers at one time or another but you never know.

[Landphil]

morelia,

Here's some info regarding Victor Pianos (Victor Piano & Organ Co. , Chicago) More of a "how they came about and who did it" page.

http://www.ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech/ ... 14159.html

edit

seems yours is pre 1914

[morelia]

Awsome find. At least it is some info. Thanks a lot.

[annode]

Found this address in Miami;
http://www.musicyellowpages.com/datates ... 37294&htm=

[bluedad]

Found this address in Miami;
http://www.musicyellowpages.com/datates ... 37294&htm=

that's most likely just a dealer.
interesting read; the piano-tech mailing list is a treasure trove of info.
I've been working on pianos for over 30 years now
every day is different.
my dad's a piano tech too, he's 74 and still at it!

[morelia]

Thanks annode. They have a web site. Cool. Having a look now.

I find it hard to believe this piano is pre 1914. It looks way too shiny. I will have to look into that. Is age a good thing with pianos like it is with guitars and violins?

Is there a way to id a piano. Like there is with a guitar serial and indicators like pickup combinations, bridge type, neck shape etc?

[bluedad]

Thanks annode. They have a web site. Cool. Having a look now.

I find it hard to believe this piano is pre 1914. It lloks way too shiny. I will have to look into that. Is age a good thing with pianos like it is with guitars and violins?

somewhere on the web, I believe there's a place to pop in the name and serial number to get the date of manufacture. (although, I'm not sure)
If you can get me the serial number (should be on the plate somewhere above the tuning pins)
I can look it up for you Monday..my atlas has disappeared, but I know there's one at my store.

[bluedad]

Thanks annode. They have a web site. Cool. Having a look now.

I find it hard to believe this piano is pre 1914. It lloks way too shiny. I will have to look into that. Is age a good thing with pianos like it is with guitars and violins?

as far as age goes - it's not always a good thing with pianos. For instance, the soundboard could loose much of it's crown, due to the constant pressure to the strings bearing down on it. That can equal loss of tone.
The strings, especially the copper wound bass ones, lose their tone due to age, fatigue, and dirt getting in the windings.
Just as on a guitar or violin, it would require a great deal of re-working. And on pianos, it can get quite expensive.

[morelia]

Here it is. I could not find a serial no. I don't even know how or where to get inside and find the tuning pins. There is a Made in Korea sticker on the back.

[annode]

Wild...Korea sticker...hmmmm
Have look around in here also;
http://www.pianoexchange.com/appraise_me.html

[Landphil]

I've been working on pianos for over 30 years now
every day is different.
my dad's a piano tech too, he's 74 and still at it!

I can't type enough praise! Thanks to both of you for keeping these wonderful instruments alive.

I learned music on an old Kurtzmann upright. Still have the hammer assembly on display in the studio. At the time I took piano lessons, circa 1967, the premier piano tuner in the state (OK.) was blind. His son would drive him from job to job and relay the make and model to him. The son would remove the front panels of wood so his father could get down to buisness, and then leave for awhile. The father would then do a once over with his hands: from pegs to strings to hammers to dampers, and pull out his wrench. Without wedges or tuners, this man would start playing the piano, stop and adjust, play some more, adjust some more, until the old Kurtzmann was sounding it's best. It was an amazing site for a 9 year old! Just typing about this still gives me goose bumps, and it's had a profound impact on my musical life. The power of hearing when it's uninterrupted by the other senses.

Cheers to bluedad and his dad! Keep on tuning!

[bluedad]

ok, it's not uncommmon at all for korean made pianos to have US names on them..so, it's not an original Victor, that's for sure!
some of them are made pretty good. some arent.
at any rate, you're probably better off with this one, rather than an old 1914.
but if you lift the lid, you can look inside an see the tuning pins and all, they're near the top. I don't know
if this would have a serial number, or if it would be accurate or not. I've seen some korean pianos with no serial number at all.