--- Central West Regional Seminar --- March 19, 20, 21, 22 Clarion Hotel - Airport 5805 W. Kellogg Drive - Wichita, KS 67209 For Reservations call (316) 942-7911 - 1-800-835-2913 Thursday Night Opening Session: Presentations on "The State of the Industry" followed by an Open Forum for new promotional ideas. Friday Night Session: RVP Kent Swafford will lead a discussion on Regional Concerns and Plans for the Future. Saturday Night Banquet: Join others for a fun evening. Cash bar, fine buffet, and entertainment for your enjoyment. A program will be provided for "spouses and significant others", sponsored by the Auxiliary. Details and registration upon arrival at the Seminar. Please let us know as early as possible of your interest in this program. Early registration deadline postmarked by February 25, 1998. Fees By Fef. 25 After Feb. 25 PTG Member $ 95.00 $ 135.00 Non-Member $ 140.00 $ 180.00 Additional Banquet Tickets $35.00 There will be a $30.00 Rebate for non-members joining PTG at the Seminar. Checks to: Central West Regional Seminar, PTG c/o Marty Hess 3900 N. Parkwood Wichita, KS 67220 For more information call (316) 744-0564 ======================================================================== CLASSES: Scheduled Friday, Saturday, and Sunday ======================================================================== LaRoy Edwards, RPT -- Yamaha Corporation "Aftertouch and the Secrets of Performance Piano Preparation" This innovative class will help to clarify the whole picture of "aftertouch." You'll see how to factor in the "human element" that the pianist places on the mechanical system of the piano, and what the pianist expects from your regulation work. We'll examine all of the related regulating adjustments, to understand how each one contributes to the control and efficiency of making music at the piano. "Introduction to Disklavier" This class will give you a good overview of the features and functions found in the Yamaha Disklavier pianos from a technicians perspective. Included will be general tuning and regulating service, action removal, and the helpful diagnostic features built-in to the instrument. ======================================================================== Kent Webb -- Baldwin Piano & Organ Company "Meeting the Service Needs of the Vertical Piano" (Level: Intermediate - Advanced) Kent will discuss the various problems, causes, and repair techniques associated with the vertical piano. Included will be noise diagnosis, regulation tips, touch analysis, and other items we encounter in our service schedules. The vertical piano is still the most commonly encountered piano we service today. Be sure not to miss this essential class on this important aspect of our market. "Bringing Out the Best in Performance Grands" (Level: Intermediate - Advanced) Kent will discuss the diagnosis, troubleshooting, and repair of professional usage grands. The many problems and conditions we encounter as we service the critical customer will be covered in this fast-paced class. Regulation, voicing, downbearing, and touchweight will be examined as we attempt to maximize the tone, touch, and projection of the concert grand while meeting the expectations of the customer. =========================================================================== Wally Brooks, RPT -- Brooks, Ltd. "The Business of Rebuilding" Estimates, appraisals, contracts, as well as project and client management strategies make this class a must for anyone who does, or wants to do, major in-shop repairs or rebuilding. Wally's wealth of experience in this field will benefit everyone from novice to seasoned veteran rebuilders. "All About Hammers" Its hammers from A to Z in this class as Wally takes his audience through felt and hammer manufacture, hammer boring, vertical and grand hammer hanging, as well as working with pre-hung hammers which are growing more popular with technicians every year. What hammers should you use? Should you do your own boring? Should you use hammers pre- hung on new shanks? This class gives you the knowledge you need to make decisions instead of guesses and more money on the bottom line. "Vertical Piano Construction" Basic construction of a back, sounding board, bridges, keybed, action and keys, and case of a vertical piano are demonstrated by use of slides and models. This informative class will provide a wealth of knowledge useful to each of us every day in our work. ========================================================================== Tony Geers -- C. A. Geers Company "All About Bridges" This class will cover bridge construction and repair including installation of new bridge caps and complete bridge replacement. Downbearing, plate height and position relationships and analysis will also be covered. "Pinblock Replacement and Fitting" The C. A. Geers Company ha for years been one of the premier piano rebuilding operations in the nation. Drawing on his vast experienc in all phases of the rebuilding business, Tony takes his audience, step by step, through removal of the old pinblock, selection of material for the new pinblock, and fitting and installation. =========================================================================== Greg Hulme, RPT -- Kansas City, Missouri "Efficient Restringing" Time-tested methods, tips, and shortcuts taught by a master craftsman and one of the most respected rebuilders in the midwest. Whether you are new to restringing or an old hand at it, this class will lead you toward more speed, confidence and precision in performing this important task. "Rebuilding Details" In rebuilding, like most other things, if you attend to the little things, the big things tend to take care of themselves. Greg highlights the "details" in piano rebuilding that prevent small problems from becoming big disasters, that keep a formidible project on track and managable, and that add that sparkle of excellence which seperates the true craftsman from the merely adequate rebuilder. =========================================================================== Dr. Al Sanderson, RPT and David Sanderson, RPT -- Inventronics Inc. "The Basics of Tuning with the Sanderson Accu-Tuners I, II, and III ! All the secrets of the Sanderson Accu-Tuner will be revealed and we will go over the functions of all the keys, the tuning lights, and the displays. At the beginner's level, we will cover the basics: How to get the correct page in memory and use pre-stored tunings. How to use the FAC method to create and store 88-note tunings in memory. How to use the automatic pitch-raise calculator and the pitch offset register to raise pitch to any pitch from a semitone low to "how high do you dare!" Advanced features will be covered if questions show an interest. The Sanderson Accu-Tuner III will be shown and its new features will be covered. Among them are a new Auto-Stepping program that uses the two adjacent keys (to the one being tuned) for stepping down; a sequencing feature that allows following any aural tuning order while tuning; and adjustable octave-width control to vary the amount of octave stretch as desired. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. "Add a Foot to Your Piano -- Rescale!" You may wonder if rescaling a piano really pays off, but its a fact that the average 5-foot grand sounds more like a 6-foot grand when given a new scale design and low inharmonicity bass strings. We will show you how to add this "acoustic foot" to your too-short baby grand. The technical aspects of modern string design will be covered briefly, and then we will get into the "how-to" stages -- how to make the physical measurements of the old scale, how to improve the line of the bridge when recapping, and how to change plain wires to wound bichords at the break when necessary. We'll also show you some patent-applied-for improvements in bass strings that compensate inharmonicity, increase flexibility and reduce those unpleasant spurious overtones. ========================================================================== Don Mannino, RPT -- Kawai America Corporation "Action Centers: The Secret of Consistent Touch" This class is in two parts within the one class session. The first focuses on conceptualizing action center operation and service, and the second demonstrates an efficient and highly accurate method for recentering using sized broaches. The discussion will include evaluating the amount of friction needed for any given action part, the effects of pinning on touch and tone, and dealing with the various types of bushing cloths encountered. "From Rocks to Cream Puffs: Voicing Difficult Hammers" This is a "basics of voicing" class in which samples of 4 different sets of hammers are installed in 1 Kawai grand piano and each is voiced during the class for the best tone. The hammer manufacturing process and concepts of how hammers work are discussed. The goal of the class is to show how to work up soft hammers, how to bring down hard hammers and, most importantly, how to take the fear out of the voicing process. ==========================================================================> Jim Krentzel, RPT -- Oskaloosa, Kansas "Tuning: Solid Foundations, Accuracy and Speed" This is a basic tuning class but experienced tuners will find something for them here as well. Jim is a respected technician and an excellent teacher. His classes are not to be missed. "Pitch Raising for the Aural Tuner" In this class, Jim presents solid proceedures which work well and produce consistent, predictable results with a minimum of time and effort. Not just for beginners. ==========================================================================> Randy Potter, RPT -- Randy Potter School of Piano Technology "Getting the Most From Your Electronic Tuning Device Using Aural Checks" Over half of all tuners today use an EDT to some extent. Many "forget" how to tune aurally after using a device for several years - or neglect to ever learn it in the first place. This class teaches quick, easy and effective systems for optimizing your tunings by making aural checks as you tune and how non-aural tuners can *learn* aural tuning as they use their EDT. Handouts include charts and instructions for use with the PT-100, SAT (I, II, and III), and CyberTuner. The new SAT-III's Aural Temperament Tuning Sequence will also be demonstrated. "Business Cents and Nonsense -or- If You Did Not Earn $60,000 Last Year..." Randy begins with the premise that we ought to be earning at least $60,000 a year - yet the recent PTG survey makes it clear that only about 25% of our members are in this income catagory. We will look at why we should earn this much, help attendees determine why they did not - and show what they can do to increase their income this year. Included, is a glimpse of Determining Your Professional/ Business Appearance Quotient, a very useful method of assessing yourself and your business which Randy developed a number of years ago. Four pages of handouts includes and article titled "How Much Do Piano Technicians Earn?", which is very insightful and which we will use as a stepping-off point. "Taxes and Our Profession -or- Recent Tax Law Changes Benefit Piano Technicians" Believe it or not, both the 1993/94 and 1997 tax law changes were huge boons for piano technicians! Even so, my surveys show that *most* piano technicians pay two to three times in taxes what they should! Usually, it is because they do not understand the law or how it is skewed to help small business prosper. The information recieved in this class includes IRS code numbers, so you can go back home and take advantage of these benefits on your 1998 tax forms with the confidence that you are filing and accurate return. ==========================================================================> Mitch Kiel, RPT -- Reyburn Cybertuner "Introduction to the Reyburn CyberTuner" In this introductory class, Mitch Kiel will demonstrate basic RCT operations such as automatic sample taking, selecting one of ten stretch styles with one click of your mouse; "pre-listening" to the tuning with RCT's predicted beat rates; selecting the best tuning partials; faster and more accurate pitch raising with RCT's auto- measuring and dynamic overpull percentages optimized for each note; "automagic" chromatic both-ways noteSwitching (no hands or feet); saving and organizing RCT's unlimited number of tuning files; and more! "Advanced RCT Techniques" Mitch Kiel will demonstrate some of RCT's advanced tools such as "Custom Equalizer" which lets you micro-adjust the stretch of every octave and instantly see a graph of your tweaks; "Pianalyzer", RCT's spectrum analyzer which measures each partial's pitch, inharmonicity, sustain, and volume; using RCT's graphs and spreadsheets to analyze a piano's scale design and create an optimized tuning; choosing on of RCT's 57 stored historical temperaments or creating and saving an unlimited number of your own; using RCT to measure and score the PTG tuning exam faster than ever; and more! ==========================================================================> Hugo Reimer, RPT -- North Newton, Kansas "Piano Refinishing" Piano finishes have traditionally been the acme of all furniture finishes; the benchmark by which all others are judged and nothing sticks out quite like mediocre refinishing of a piano. Hugo guides this class through the process of fine piano refinishing from stripping to final polishing, including hinges and other hardware, with an emphasis on safety, predictability, and longevity of the final product. ========================================================================= Lloyd Meyer and Rick Baldassin, RPT -- Renner USA "New Parts on Old Frames - Retrofitting the Grand Action" Many different action designs have been produced over the years, and manufacturers have often changed their action dimensions. This class will teach you how to choose the correct action parts for the job, including assembling a "Universal Wippen" if no exact replacements are available. "New Grand Damper Back Action" The damper, or back action, has often been overlooked or neglected during piano action restoration (even when wear & tear warrented replacement) simply because no replacement system was available. In response to this need, Renner has produced a new underlever system kit. This class will teach you how to assemble and install it. ====================================================================== David Stanwood, RPT -- Stanwood & Company "The Touch Designer's Tool Kit" New tools and techniques for controlling touch dynamics are emerging with the advent of "The New Touch Weight Metrology" (PTG Journal, June 1996). This exciting class explores the reality of designing touch by making component specifications for hammer weight, strike weight, front key weight, and action weight ratios. "Making Hammer and Strike Weight Specifications - Workshop" Technicians and pianists across the country are discovering that fine tuning of hammer-weight is the foundation of quality voicing and fine touch. Learn to create your own strike weight specifications using the Smart Chart, a "computerless" method for calculating strike- weight and hammer-weight specifications. Try your hand at adding or subtracting hammer weight with a new generation of specialized tools. ==========================================================================> Bonnie Swafford, RPT -- University of Kansas Medical Center "Essential Tool Maintenance: Your Body" Piano service doesn't have to be a pain in the neck, or anywhere else. If not taken seriously, our bodies suffer on-going damage from the work we technicians do. This class addresses the specific stresses imposed on the body by piano work and provides a concrete and sensible strategy for treating the body with respect and care in order to keep our most important tool in service. Bonnie, a Registered Physical Therapist (RPT) married to a Registered Piano Technician (RPT), is head of Physical Therapy for the KU Medical Center and brings a unique perspective and insights to this important subject. Don't miss this class! ==========================================================================> Kent Swafford, RPT, CTE -- University of Missouri at Kansas City "Preparing for the PTG Tuning Exam" Learn what to expect at your PTG tuning exam. Kent is a past chair of the Tuning Exam section of the PTG Examinations and Test Standards (ETS) Committee and is one of the most knowledgable CTEs in PTG. This class will explain the "detuning" and "scoring" proceedures involved in the exam. Helpful tuning tips and critical psychological preparation will be emphasized. Both Associates preparing to take the exam, and RPTs wanting to help administer it, will benefit from Kent's expertise in this class. "The PTG Technical Exam - Grand Regulation" Kent takes the class through the grand action regulation portion of the PTG Technical Exam and doesn't just talk about it - he does the exam right there as part of the class providing prospective examinees a look at the situation they will encounter during their technical examination. ======================================================================== The mailing will be out shortly. Ron Nossaman
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC