Wanna Play?

[Brian Trout]

Hi Avery,

I don't know how far you want to go with this, but I thought of a few
things.  They're probably duplicates of someone else's ideas, but here goes
anyhow...

For the grand:

- weaken a repetition spring (poor repeating)
-move a jack too far out from under the knuckle (poor repeating)
-pop a repetition spring out of it's slot (dead note)
-move the action shift stop screw far enough in that it hits the neighboring
string with the
  soft pedal depressed (out of tune when played softly)
-set a jack to high in it's 'window' (misfires a lot)
-set the sostenuto rod just close enough to the damper levers that it causes
(sticky
dampers)
-bend a damper wire so it hangs up in the bushing (sticky damper)
-bend a damper wire so it doesn't come down on a bichord evenly (bleeding
damper)
-loosen a screw on the key up-stop rail for a (buzz)
-loosen a flange screw for a (click)
-lay a penny on the soundboard for a (buzz)
-raise the damper stop rail for a ("funny feel to the key")
-put a penny between two keys for (sticky keys)
-put a paper clip, bent appropriately between the keyframe and keybed
(squeak)
-loosen the lyre screws enough for a squeak if you can get it to

For the vertical:

-dislocate a hammer butt spring for a (squeak)
-loosen a wippen flange for a click
-rig a pedal rod for a metallic buzz
-regulate a spoon so it holds the damper open just enough to be irritating!
-set it so that one caster is off the floor enough to "buzz"
-put something like a 'glass candle holder' in the back against the
soundboard (noise!)
-if you want to be mean, remove a damper lever and simulate extreme wear
where the spoon hits the felt causing it to hang up (sticky note)

You could also 'cause' a problem with strings 'riding up the bridge pins',
or cause the keyslip to interfere with the keys (sticky keys), have
'accidents' to need repairs such as rebushing of keys or centers (pin a
flange or two too tight) or put the pedal assemblies together in such a
fashion as to squeak or just not work properly.  The list is practically
endless!  I'm actually looking forward to the responses to this one.  Maybe
it'll be good for all of us, young and old, green and seasoned.

Of course, it would be difficult to simulate some problems without damage to
the pianos.  Major bridge or soundboard problems would probably be too much.
I don't know if you'd want to go so far as to deregulate touch bolts or
hammer drop or key level & dip, mostly in thinking that all of this stuff
has to be put back right, which might end up being a bit of work.

Just the ramblings of a tired tech.  I could probably think of more but I
got tired just thinking about all of these things...

Best wishes,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, Pa.

-----Original Message-----
From: Avery Todd <atodd@UH.EDU>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Friday, April 16, 1999 7:15 PM
Subject: Wanna Play?


List,

   I sent the post below privately and received back a LOOONG list of
some positively sadistic things to do. This particular tech had much
too much fun thinking up that list, so I thought you might have some
fun too, and come up with some ideas. Probably things you've run
across and it took a while to figure out the problem. It gives you
something to do over the weekend in all your spare time. :-)

=====================================================================
   I want to see if you can help me with an idea I had for a chapter
technical for next month. The person I "thought" I had lined up just
backed out and the meeting is the second Saturday of the month.
   What I have in mind is because of something an associate (I think
it was) said on the list one day. He said that one of the biggest
problems that most newer techs had/have is learning to troubleshoot
problems. Figure out the problem and how to correct it.
   What I have in mind is to "booby trap" a vertical and a grand with
problems and get the techs there to figure out what the problem(s) is
and how to correct it. Sort of a hands on type of thing.
   We meet in a church where there is a Kohler & Campbell Studio and
an OLD Steinway 'O' available. The 'O' belongs to my school so we
could do almost anything to it. The studio needs to be easily returned
to its original state. The grand is also used for a PACE class in the
morning, so I'll need to coordinate with the guy who teaches that.
   What I need are some not too obvious "traps" to set that they might
have to spend a "little" time figuring out. I've got about 2-1/2 hours
to fill up. :-) I could also rig both pianos and let them divide up for
a while and then switch pianos.

Avery
mailto:atodd@uh.edu

________________________
Avery Todd, RPT                            Beauty is in the eye
Moores School of Music                     of the beer holder.
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
http://www.music.uh.edu/