tuning player pianos

[Ron Nossaman]

>Steve Borgstrom's question brings to mind a question I've been meaning to ask:
>
>I'm hesitant to remove player actions when I tune them.  I generally tune
>them with the player mechanism in the piano, which needless to say, is a pain
>in the...back.
>
>I do it this way for two reasons, one fairly good reason, and one not-so-good
>reason:
>
>#1, I understand that the rubber hoses or tubes can be fragile and break
>easily.
>#2, I don't really know how to remove the player mechanism.
>
>I guess if this came up more often I would have dealt with it,  but so far
>I've only had to tune maybe 3 or 4 of these monsters.  I don't want to do any
>harm to the client's  piano, so I just suffer through them.
>
>Without writing a treatise on the subject, is there anyone who could direct
>me in the correct way to remove of a player mechanism?  (Perhaps there are
>too many different kinds to answer this question.)
>
>Tom S


Tom,
The best way is to try not to think about it. The first thing is to test 
the player to see if it works before you touch it. If it doesn't, make sure 
the customer knows it, and why. Never remove the stack to tune. These 
things are 50 pound 1000 year old eggs with cracked shells just waiting for 
someone to touch them so they can fall apart and quit working, er, 
"working". Tune around everything, and don't even breathe on anything you 
don't have to. Often, the roll drive motors will hinge forward to let you 
get to the treble. If not, it's usually safer to remove just the motor than 
to pull the stack. If you have to pull the action for repairs, you're 
committed to pulling the stack. Issue disclaimers until you run out of 
breath, so the owner knows that you will in no way guarantee that the 
player will work when you get it back in. Pulling the stack is like taking 
anything apart. Look it over to see what fasteners are holding what, 
disconnect any linkages or tubing that would prevent the stack's removal, 
MAKE SURE you have a large enough landing place on the floor for the stack 
to lay down on it's front, kill a chicken, burn some incense, try to find 
secure hand holds, and lift it forward (to clear the action), and out. 
REFUSE any offer of help from anyone standing around if you hold any hope 
of survival.

If the player and piano have been competently and thoroughly rebuilt, the 
procedure is still the same.

Ron N