If you're using the digest, please delete everthing you're not responding to! Guess I'm getting crotchety in my old age! LOL On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 10:26 AM, Schmidt, Henry R <Russell.Schmidt at uky.edu>wrote: > > Russell Schmidt - Piano Technician UK School of Music > ________________________________________ > From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of > caut-request at ptg.org [caut-request at ptg.org] > Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 10:31 AM > To: caut at ptg.org > Subject: CAUT Digest, Vol 1, Issue 76 > > Send CAUT mailing list submissions to > caut at ptg.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://ptg.org/mailman/listinfo/caut_ptg.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > caut-request at ptg.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > caut-owner at ptg.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of CAUT digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: "You are The Greatest!" (Zeno Wood) > 2. Re: Steinway... The "Safe" Piano. (Fred Sturm) > 3. Re: new steinways (Gerald Cousins) > 4. Re: new steinways (Fred Sturm) > 5. Re: new steinways (Andrew Anderson) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:44:10 -0500 > From: "Zeno Wood" <zeno.wood at gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] "You are The Greatest!" > To: caut at ptg.org > Message-ID: > <cee63c600811260644m5b6db8e9t99a41cef9e67f8e9 at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > I agree wholeheartedly! Every once in a while there's a thoughtful student > who takes a second to say hello and thank me for my work, and it reminds me > I'm glad to be a CAUT. Academic politics, budget slashings, and spilled > coffee aside, I enjoy the job. > > Zeno Wood > Brooklyn College > > > On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM, Ron Poire <rpoire at comcast.net> wrote: > > > It all comes with being available, whenever possible, to chat, or say > > "Hi," or spend a couple minutes listening to a rehearsal. And if they > tell > > you about a problem, find out how the performance went. > > It's all about hand-holding when you can. > > > > Ron > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* reggaepass at aol.com > > *To:* caut at ptg.org > > *Sent:* Tuesday, November 25, 2008 4:38 PM > > *Subject:* [CAUT] "You are The Greatest!" > > > > List, > > The subject line may sound like what the renowned boxer Mohammed Ali > would > > say to his image reflected back to him in a mirror before a bout. But, I > am > > delighted to report, it is ALSO what a student just said to me as I > passed > > her in the hallway (!!!). I figured that she had just spilled a drink in > a > > piano or had some other bad news to relay and that she was simply > softening > > me up before the other shoe dropped. But no, she claims that all of the > > other institutional piano technicians she has encountered (obviously, no > one > > on this list!) were grumpy and of otherwise generally sour disposition. > > After thanking her for making my day (week, month, year...), I told her > > that maintaining a positive outlook was my way of rebelling against the > > stereotype. > > > > May you all be similarly blessed (sounds corny, but I really mean it). > > > > Cheers, > > > > Alan Eder > > CalArts > > > > ------------------------------ > > Traveling over the river or through the woods this holiday season? Get > the > > MapQuest Toolbar< > http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212816426x1200798402/aol?redir=http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?ncid=emlwemqmq00000001 > >. > > Directions, Traffic, Gas Prices & More! > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut_ptg.org/attachments/20081126/6bd5df37/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:46:45 -0700 > From: Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway... The "Safe" Piano. > To: caut University Technicians <caut at ptg.org> > Message-ID: <45C591B5-69DB-4B9D-8387-64B305B4273E at unm.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes > > On Nov 24, 2008, at 8:55 PM, Ed Sutton wrote: > > > In any case, we have seen many times on this list that piano > > solutions don't necessarily converge. I am uncomfortable with any > > one-and-only-best-solution. > > > I agree. I certainly don't endorse an all-Anything for everybody. I > guess I don't see that happening in a practical sense - the entire > country being "taken over" by all-Steinway. In any case, I hate to see > us as cauts getting into battle array to try to stem the tide of those > horrible Steinways. It just doesn't make sense to me as an attitude > for us to take. By all means, let us do our best to promote the idea > of diversity, and try to make that a practical reality where feasible. > But I think that we cause ourselves and our profession harm by > engaging in this kind of negative campaigning. > > Regards, > Fred Sturm > University of New Mexico > fssturm at unm.edu > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:04:15 -0500 > From: Gerald Cousins <cousins_gerry at msn.com> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] new steinways > To: CAUT <caut at ptg.org>, John Chapman <johnchapman at asolare.org> > Message-ID: <BLU106-W50EB8FD7D36F18BC5613C69F0A0 at phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > John, > A very wise purchase and mix. > Do you have the prep "punch list" from Steinway Hamburg? > It is very helpful and a good starting point. As with all my procedures I > use > punch lists to (hopefully) avoid forgetfulness. It is also useful when I > find myself interrupted. > Which NEVER happens. Ha! > > Happy T-Day to everyone on the list! > Gerry C > West Chester Universitygcousins at wcupa.edu > On 11/26/08 6:45 AM, "John D. Chapman" <johnchapman at asolare.org> wrote: > Our music department just received four new Steinways: one D, two Bs,and an > A. Other than the obvious tuning and voicing, what immediateprep would you > suggest?John ChapmanWake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North Carolina > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut_ptg.org/attachments/20081126/62883293/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:15:20 -0700 > From: Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] new steinways > To: caut at ptg.org > Message-ID: <F2A05F3D-502B-4483-8C04-E22D65623ADF at unm.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"; Format="flowed"; > DelSp="yes" > > Hi John, > In addition to what Jon wrote, I would actually pull the stack to > check all keys: balance holes and bushings. It's a good thing to have > done. I like to lube and iron all bushings, ream and lube all balance > holes as a matter of course. (Precision reamer, 0.147", twisted back > and forth once about 90-120 degrees lightly in each hole - makes for a > clean and precise hole, consistent for every key). Your experience may > differ in NC from our dry conditions in NM, as to sizing of balance > holes - you are closer in RH to the Kluge factory. I find balance > holes on all brands tend to be too snug in new pianos. Lube the key > pins: hold the keyframe vertical and run a paintbrush with Prolube or > McLube along the part that the keybushings will contact (a couple > minutes that pays off handsomely). > Check parts alignment. In particular, before aligning hammers to > strings, see if the whole action/keyframe is slightly shifted to the > bass end (compression of that una corda stop felt) and shim out the > block a bit if needed. Check for twisted shanks and correct (bass > hammer in particular can tend to lean in one or other direction, > causing rubbing issues until corrected). It's a good idea to go > through regulation: at the least, the capstans likely need tweaking, > and you may find things like a few blocking hammers. Not necessarily a > full regulation, just check each note for proper function. > About the damper wires, they can tend to be set so they bear/bind > too > tightly against one side of the bushing. They are intended to bear > "lightly but firmly." A very light tough on the bending pliers (bottom- > most bend) will get it to the point where "the firmness is there but > the friction is not." And if there is still a friction issue, with > action out press down the damper pedal and run a paintbrush of Prolube > along the wires just above the bushings (fast, gets them all at once). > I like to level the strings first off. It might or might not have > been done already (they have string levels in the factory). Check > trapwork for pins working loose. I had a problem with una corda lever > pin walking out on a couple in the past few years. Maybe they have > corrected the problem. Good luck! > Regards, > Fred Sturm > University of New Mexico > fssturm at unm.edu > > > > On Nov 26, 2008, at 5:55 AM, Ralinovsky, Jonathan Mr. wrote: > > > Hi John, > > Congratulations on your department?s purchase. I would suggest > > TFL-50 for the keybed (where the front/back rail and glides contact > > it) and ends of the keyframe where the keyframe contacts the return > > spring. Check the damper wires to ensure that they are moving freely > > through the damper guide rail. Lubricate the key bushings with > > Prolube or your favorite equivalent; ease key bushings and balance > > holes as needed. > > > > Respectfully, > > Jon > > > > Jon Ralinovsky > > Piano Technician > > Department of Music > > Miami University > > 513/529-6548 > > > > > > On 11/26/08 6:45 AM, "John D. Chapman" <johnchapman at asolare.org> > > wrote: > > > > Our music department just received four new Steinways: one D, two Bs, > > and an A. Other than the obvious tuning and voicing, what immediate > > prep would you suggest? > > John Chapman > > Wake Forest University > > Winston-Salem, North Carolina > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut_ptg.org/attachments/20081126/241ca1de/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:31:04 -0600 > From: Andrew Anderson <andrew at andersonmusic.com> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] new steinways > To: caut at ptg.org > Message-ID: <29EEAF48-48DC-4054-BC1F-42E47235DDE9 at andersonmusic.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes > > John, > That would depend on the quality of service provided by your > dealership. Steinways come virtually unplayable from the manufacturer > and the dealership is expected to prep the piano to the customer's > requirements. Essentially the dealer's (or your) technician should go > through all the steps in the Steinway service manual with each piano, > especially for the performance instruments. This can amount to > several days per piano depending on the condition it arrived in. > > Additional work: > Polish the capstans and keypins with Flitz if at all discolored or > any roughness/friction is detected. > lube capstans, keypins, damper wires through the glides with Prolube > (helps protect against oxidation) > lube key bushings, whippen heals, keyend felt (underlever contact), > jack regulation buttons, hammer knuckles with microfine teflon powder > (doesn't attract moisture or accumulate grime) > TFL (teflon) or teflon powder the contact of keyframe with the shift > return spring and with the keybed. > MPL lube the guides on each end of the keyframe going into the > cheakblocks > Prolube the pedal rod guides and teflon lube their contact points. > Establish positive (felt damped) stops for the pedals under the > keybed (big headed lag screws), especially the shift pedal > Go through the hammers and check grams tension on the hammer flanges > (lube with cpl or repin as necessary, this has a big effect on voice) > In the hall and storage areas be very strict about maintaining a piano > friendly environment. Steady relative humidity (40% low end, 55% high > end and preferably no more then a 5% swing) and temperature are > essential to stable tuning and regulation. What is more, this is > essential to the long-term life of the instrument. I have a B here > that was stored in a hallway where humidity swung from 35% to 88% RH. > There are glue joints failing throughout the action probably > throughout the piano construction as well. Until this happened no-one > wanted to seriously consider my warnings. > > After play-in more regulation will be needed as the contact points > (felt and leather) adjust to usage. Pianos with a regular playing > schedule will need annual regulation but the time required to do it > will drop as the parts settle into their used state. > > You should maintain a parts inventory onsite for your performance > instruments containing a stringset, a couple spare whippens and hammer > shanks and flanges. This especially if you have only one model of the > given piano. There's nothing like loosing a monochord on a D during a > pre-concert rehearsal and then finding out that there are no > replacements in-state that can get to you in time for the concert. > Same thing for broken action parts. Steinway wasn't selling spare > parts kits last time I called so you may choose one of the other fine > makes to have emergency spares on hand for just such an occasion. We > have couple each of Tokiwa parts to cover for broken inventory here. > I recommend Abel Encore but would have to check if they break up sets > to sell little kits like that. > > Good luck with the piano investment. Hopefully none were stillborn > from the factory. If any are found to be problematic don't hesitate > to aggressively insist on a replacement. The longer you wait the > greater the resistance to dealing with a problem instrument. I know > of a D being replaced by the factory. I know of another that they > didn't get around to addressing the issue until the short warranty was > almost over and the dealer dragged her feet, sent her technician who > obfuscated, flattered, denigrated his colleagues doing whatever it > took to slow them down. The short warranty expired and now they > refuse to talk about the issue. No one wants to play the D there > after he worked on it. The B has become their instrument of choice, > clicking glue joints and all. > > Andrew Anderson > > > > On Nov 26, 2008, at 5:45 AM, John D. Chapman wrote: > > > Our music department just received four new Steinways: one D, two > > Bs, and an A. Other than the obvious tuning and voicing, what > > immediate prep would you suggest? > > John Chapman > > Wake Forest University > > Winston-Salem, North Carolina > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > CAUT mailing list > CAUT at ptg.org > http://ptg.org/mailman/listinfo/caut_ptg.org > > > End of CAUT Digest, Vol 1, Issue 76 > *********************************** > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut_ptg.org/attachments/20081127/247b368f/attachment-0001.html>
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