Andrew Hector wrote: > > Greetings, > > I have a client that would like her player piano tuned. I have never > tuned one before and would like to know if their is anything different > in the way they are tuned. > > Andrew Hector > .- Andrew I'm going to assume this is an old player upright from the 20s or possibly earlier. The player action is somewhat in the way of tuning, especially in the middle section and is wholly in the way of repair and regulation. This seems to be the main reason for its existence, since it has, most likely, ceased functioning decades ago. In some instruments, the pneumatics are all contained in a stack above the keys and the whole, heavy affair can be removed, preferably with someone to help, and laid, upright, on the floor. This is, of course, a bother but I often go to the trouble to avoid the frustration of getting most of the way through a tuning only to have a broken string or action part necessitate the removal of the damn thing anyway. It's even more frustrating when the player action doesn't work and the owner wants to keep it all in one piece, you know, just in case. It is some compensation knowing that you don't have to make it work when you put it back in. The other kind of player has the pneumatics under the keybed and, with all that tubing going down between the keys, the above board monkey motion is hopelessly tethered and in your way. As a "vertically advantaged" person, it's easy enough, I suppose, for me to reach over the greasy contrivance to mute and tune in an awkward position whilst praying for string and action integrity. Persons of shorter stature may need to be more creative about their posture. Do try to remove the "motor" and chain for better access. It has never occurred to me to charge more for, oh, pain and suffering while wrestling with all the various hoses and linkage. Suffice to say that I don't cultivate this type of client and try to manage a smile when one slips through my automatic piano filter system. The patience I've developed as a klavier stimmer I choose not to squander on such devilish devices if I can help it. Those old players have the potential of "making a bum out of you". Meaning that you may be an expert about acoustic pianos but noisy player actions are an entirely different animal. You might explain to your client about your lack of player experience and, in full awareness of that fact, you may proceed with _less_ embarassment. And know that if you're smart enough to be a piano technician, then you can figure out how to deal with a silly player action. There, I feel better now. -- Thomas A. Cole RPT Santa Cruz, CA
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