[CAUT] Care and feeding of stage grands

[A440A at aol.com]

 Kent asks: 
<< >I have a couple questions about maintaining concert pianos on stages  at 

>universities.

>

> 1) Do you have a policy about the touch-up of finish damage?  Does anyone 
touch-up as  needed? Or 

> perhaps annually? Never?<

            At Vanderbilt, the 5 year old piano is still nice,the 28 year old 
D is beat up fairly severely.  We have  touch up done about 10-15 years into 
the use, and a refinish about every three decades.  I think I lightly oiled 
the case of the new one when it was delivered, and it hasn't shown the 
fingerprints as badly as one of those dry matte finishes do.  


> 2) Do you have a policy on removing lids?< 

      Oh yes, I do.  However, the students and faculty don't, so our pianos 
are sometimes sitting there topless without me having a clue.  I am not being 
paid to enforce rules, just to repair the damage.   
 
 >There is also a history of  damage being 

> done while removing and replacing grand piano lids. >>

       The greatest harm I ever saw was done when only the middle hinge pin 
was in.  The first time the lid was opened and put on the long stick, it 
pivoted on the pin, breaking the prop stick, smashing the music desk and scratching 
everything in the path as it twisted and ripped the pin and screws out of the 
rim.  Great fun, lots of shouting etc.    
 
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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