CA vs Loose Pins

[Piesik, John (JPIESIK)]

Dear List,

Last month I requested info on CA glue for loose tuning pins. It's only fair
that I report the results, especially to those who thoughtfully responded.
And the results are: it worked, and it didn't work. It appears that, in my
opinion, CA glue can pull you out of a "slippy" situation, sometimes. A
couple of the pins I tried it on were so loose that the CA glue was not
effective. Thus, I muted those strings that wouldn't tune, got my client
through her Christmas party, and recommended that the next step is a
replacement or rebuild.

Now, following are some comments, my opinions, of course, regarding this
matter:

When a piano is in need of CA glue on more than a few tuning pins, it's in
need of a lot more than just CA glue. I would not recommed CA gluing or
doping an entire pinblock - I shudder at the thought - although, I know some
folks do, and that's fine for them. I've learned that there are many ways to
skin a cat in this business, but, to me, some cats are best left alone. (In
order to buy a little more time in an emergency, on a few pins at best,
then, CA glue may be the ticket. And, there are other ways to solve a loose
tuning pin problem, too!) But, let's face it, doping an entire pinblock is a
bandaid fix.

It's a funny thing that in the last month I've encountered two more pianos
(grands) that are not holding tension due to loose pins. I admit I CA glued
two pins on a Yamaha gray-market piano to "buy some more time", but the
other was just too far gone. In these cases, I recommended replacement or
have them rebuilt (preferably with new PBs). It's apparent that I'm running
into increasingly more pianos with "loose pin" troubles (are you?). I don't
think that this is some kind of coincidence, either, and here's why. Many
pianos were sold to/for boomers during the 50s, 60s and 70s. The condition
of these pianos, coming from the historical height of US piano sales, due to
the pianos ages, is now starting to deteriorate (the pianos are now over 30
years old). I am not a rebuilder, but, I would bet dollars to donuts that
the piano rebuilding business is going to see a flurry of new work in the
very near future - if it hasn't already begun. And piano sales will continue
to increase with even more vigor. (I would someday like to have a shop and
become a rebuilder; it's very rewarding work. And, there are not enough good
rebuilders - there seems to be plenty of room for more. The Aerospace
industry has a similar problem with more talent leaving or retiring and not
enough good talent coming in - but that's a whole other story.)

Bandaids only hold for so long, then they fall off. Doping pinblocks is a
bandaid. Our clients, and thus the piano industry as a whole, in my opinion,
would benefit from either recommending a new piano or a rebuilt piano
instead of applying a bandaid to a piano beginning its dying cough. It's up
to us to gently guide our clients to the right decision. The fact is, all of
us are going to be encountering more and more of these untunable pianos. Do
we squirt CA glue into them and cross our fingers, or do we recommend a new
purchase or a rebuild? The bandaid approach, I think, hurts everyone. The
later recommendation has obvious benefits for our industry, at least in my
mind.

What do you think?

Warmest Regards,

John Piesik, RPT
Piesik's Piano Service
Oceanside, CA
(760) 726-4665
jpiesik@arinc.com

P.S. As I'm not subscribed, please copy me in your response:
jpiesik@arinc.com