Master Piano Tuner

[Carey Marcel]

Hi Dwight,

My 2 cents is don't even try it without removing the hammers. You will save time.
Sometimes taking the approach that seems the more tedious, one saves.

Marcel Carey, RPT

moment@pacbell.net wrote:

> List:
>
> I've been enjoying this list for a month.  To respond to your poll, I attended
> Perkins School of Piano Technology in Cleveland in 1974-75.  Perkins taught some
> questionable methods, such as using sleeves to tighten loose tuning pins (.024"
> is overkill).  No one in attendance ever saw the man tune a piano.  He only
> taught us how to temper using fourths and fifths.  I learned to add thirds and
> sixths later, on my own.
>
> During the intervening years I worked for dealers in Tampa and South Florida
> before moving to Southern California.  I tried my hand at refinishing and
> restringing.  I've avoided player pianos like the plague but acutally did repair
> a player when I lived for a short time in Battle Mountain, Nevada.  Over time I
> learned that to be proficient one needs to perform a task consistently, so doing
> occasional refinish jobs was not my path.  I tune and do action repairs and
> regulations.  The rest of the work I refer.
>
> Had I stayed in Tampa I would probably have joined PTG.  I was doing quite a bit
> of work with John Ragusa who was very involved with the Guild and eventually
> became president of his chapter.  I even went to a state convention with him.
>
> I'd like to now solicit the members of the list for a suggestion.  I just picked
> up a Yamaha studio action with many broken butt flange cords.  The cords are
> brown, not the usual white.  I don't want to remove the hammers.  At this point
> I'm thinking of detaching the bridal straps and letting the whips drop to gain
> access to the screw side of the flange to facilitate attaching new cords.  I
> suppose I'll use parachute cord (I've used it to replace grand whip cords).
> Being so close to the center pin I'm afraid to use CA so I'm thinking of using
> tweezers and prewetting the ends of the cord with Titebond.  Any suggestions?
> Any slick tool ideas?  I have a feeling this could be very tedious and
> straining.  I'm very far-sighted so this kind of fine work is difficult if I
> have to do it by eye.
>
> Thanks
> Dwight Keyes
> Keyes Piano Tuning
> (714) 521-1305
>
> "I know not why it is that a man struggles his whole life to reach the pinnacle
> and then throws himself into the abyss, I only know that it is so."
>     --Oscar Wilde, while serving two years' hard labour
>