Andy,

I will have to get you a basic voicing tool. It will not at all be difficult to use. Even if you over-do it on some hammers, with the amount you play the piano, they will surely come back.

The same thing happened with your piano as with GP's. A simple hammer re-shaping provided some nice, smooth and even tone. Now that you have played the hammers in, this kind of whiny sound that you describe as a "buzz" is setting in. These hammers will be easily toned down with a single needle voicing technique.

I'm afraid that frankly, the part of the Chopin you didn't like sounded best to me. That piece is really meant for a large grand piano. The big chords sound horribly out of tune to me, yet that was the best I could tune the poor little thing. It really is like an early instrument where people did not try to play such material. Scarlatti, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven, etc., will all sound nice on it, however.

Thanks, Bill! That way, I can add blood to the sweat and tears we've put into this piano so far!




Well, I really did push the volume on line 1, and in another thread, RonTuner said he thought I might have driven it beyond the bounary of good tone there. In other words, I played it too hard for the piano. I think he's absolutely right, and that's why I was going to save the Chopin for the Haddorff, but I had something I wanted to show (in another thread) about picking up clues to help shape tempo and phrasing, based on what the piano sound was telling me. I'm afraid I didn't make my point very well, though!

Anyway, I have some Bach, Clementi, Kuhlau, Mozart and early Beethoven waiting in the wings if I can just get rid of this annoying hiss-buzz. I've decided to scrap the other recordings I made last week until I can get that done. No biggie. Look for a PM soon so we can plan our next steps. Thanks again so much! Each time you visit, the piano gets better and I learn a little more.

--Andy

Hi Sophia,

Have some time at home now....in answer to your question about Classical West hammers and ET, I just posted this over in this thread.

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1644487/3.html



As a side note, I just re-tuned the piano back to Bill's EBVT III, this time using Bill's figures in my RCT. In the past, it did not turn out quite right. This time it worked well. What probably happened before, is that the auto-note switching in RCT must have jumped to a different octave and I did not notice it, this time I made sure that did not happen.

On a technical note, I have now used two ETD's, RCT and Tunelab, and my pro-tuner has used Verituner to replicate Bill's figures, all with great success. These were all played on my LX system. www.live-performance.com

Regarding the tuning stability. ...this is still a learning experience for me. 0433 is the first recording after I tuned, 0466 the last, and by that time, it drifted. Will keep working on it!

Sorry, I don't have the titles for most of these, if anyone knows them, please post. Also, some may be just excerpts.

1. 0433 http://www.box.net/shared/iaqejjf738
2. 0434 http://www.box.net/shared/8umxquej74
3. 0435 http://www.box.net/shared/rxgt3mxml8
4. 0437 http://www.box.net/shared/ato5lu234z
5. 0438 http://www.box.net/shared/0yq6y8p5im
6. 0440 http://www.box.net/shared/2m0hy12nf8
7. 0443 http://www.box.net/shared/mvphkpadfd
8. 0444 http://www.box.net/shared/u1aoir7k0i (Clair de Lune)
9. 0466 Gerald Robbins Chopin Scherzo http://www.box.net/shared/0yo7zkuc3y (by this time, the tuning has suffered a bit)

Here, I went through and touched up the tuning, then re-recorded Clair de Lune. http://www.box.net/shared/6ba0mjbsv6

This is the continuing story of "The Little Lester That Could," otherwise known as "My piano in EBVT III." I repaired a bunch of cracks in the soundboard. Bill and I replaced all of the dampers. See the shiny new dampers?



Then, Bill basically regulated the snot out of the piano over several visits and tuned it up. He showed me a needling technique that I am happy to say I employed on several offending hammers. However, I am sorry to say that I then offended D5 with it. It's coming back, though. No worries...

Also, there are several intermittent buzzes that I have tracked down to the board that caps the pinblock. Right now, an index-card shim is keeping the buzz at bay. Thanks to Ry (rysowers) and Glen (Inlanding) for their suggestions in dealing with the buzz! Bill keeps telling me that there is no such thing as a perfect piano. I keep coming back with, "Yes, but there is a perfection zone." I think the Lester is at about 89% in its zone, now, thanks to Bill's care. At his last visit, Bill told me that, as I keep learning the tech stuff, I can tweak to my heart's content, which I fully intend on doing!

So, continuing with the "Over the Rainbow" project, here is a rendition of the classic Harburg/Arlen "Over the Rainbow" from a re-printed facsimile of 1939 sheet music--an arrangement by David Nelson. As usual, I took some liberties and adapted a little bit here and there. The piano sound is un-adorned. It is as raw as it gets, with the exception of a hiss filter used at input, which, unfortunately takes a little something away from the highs. The performance is edited. I wish I could play this well. I don't quite have the intellectual stamina to pull it off, though. At least, not yet. I basically played for a while, then sent it to the editing department, smashing together the parts that I liked to make some "recording art." Hope you don't mind...

Harburg/Arlen, "Over the Rainbow," David Nelson arr., adapted by me

--Andy Strong

1940 Lester spinet tuned to EBVT III, recorded with 2 Sony Electret condenser mics (ECM 220), through a Yamaha Audiogram 6 usb input device, into Cubase AI4.
Cross-posted in Pianist Corner--Member Recordings.

Andy,

I forgot to mention to you that if you should over do it on a particular hammer, don't worry about it too much. It will get brighter again just through playing. You can even give it several rapid strikes now an then to encourage it but possibly at the risk of driving that note out of tune. The stability should be good, however, I really worked it into it. You can always attempt to re-tune individual notes. You gotta start somewhere.

The recording sounds delicate and sweet! Very appropriate for your instrument.

Thanks, Bill! I especially like the way that some of the chords ring, especially that last chord. AND, did you catch the way the piano damped at the very, very end?

As for D5, yes, ever since I overdid it with the needle, I've been giving it a few extra raps now and then. I'm thinking about putting a colored dot on the key and asking everyone in the family to hit the note a few times when they pass by the piano.

Oh, well. Gotta start somewhere!

Thanks, Grandpianoman, these sound fabulous!

Sophia

Andy, enjoyed that!

Bill, what clean unisons!

After hearing that great tuning, I had to go over my tuning, and to my surprise it was not that far off. I think the piano is starting to stabilize a bit, as well as my tuning. Unisons were not broadcast quality, but the piano was pretty much at A440. Those pesky 5th/6th octaves were not near as flat as in the past.

You know Bill, EBVTIII is very special. I have some new music, which I just recorded below, and I am blown away by the sound EBVTIII gets out of the piano. The beauty, richness and depth of tone are all enhanced with EBVT. The bass is just phenomenal on the Mike Garson stuff. ...and the late John Arpin...what great pianists. Ari's new Classical West hammers are breaking in nicely with just playing, no voicing yet.

How interesting too, that EBVTIII is right at home with this pop/Jazz music. In fact, it enhances it.

When I hear music like this, I have no problem being enthusiastic. ET has it's place, but my ear craves EBVTIII!

Oh, and BTW, these recordings are in their original, unadulterated state.


John Arpin

1. WAV_0467--A Time for Love--played on the LX by John Arpin.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/52y1fk1os2

2. WAV_0468--My Foolish Heart--played by John Arpin on the LX.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/y5ys2j2gku

3. WAV_0479--An Affair to Remember--played by John Arpin on the LX.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/ztvv4ql9ph

4. WAV_0482--Unchained Melody-- played by John Arpin on the LX.mp3 http://www.box.net/shared/a3yr7fix9m


Mike Garson

1. WAV_0487--ADMIRATION-- Composed and Played by Mike Garson on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/frfbogs4np

2. WAV_0486--LONGINGS-- Composed and Played by Mike Garson on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/zrajmk1mhd

3. WAV_0488--YESTERDAYS-- Composed and Played by Mike Garson on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/j1ggechrgi

4. WAV_0491_001--REFLECTIONS-- Composed and Played by Mike Garson on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/phbysv04qd

You're welcome Sophia!

These 2 were recorded at the same time as the other Mike Garson pieces...I hesitated to post them earlier because they are pretty far out there, similar to his "Yesterdays" piece....not sure how much jazz dissonance we can all take. After listening to them several times, they really have quite a sound in EBVT...so here they are.

Mike Garson "Lennie" http://www.box.net/shared/lnoscg6f2u

Mike Garson "All the things that you are" http://www.box.net/shared/ygtjsx2r8r (somewhere in there is the melody)

Talk about different styles and arrangements! Here is John Arpin's version of "All the things you are" recorded at the same time as the Arpin/Garson files above.

John Arpin "All the things you are" http://www.box.net/shared/rmvo1q9na8

Here is another example of how well EBVTIII sounds with Debussy. This is a High-Resolution Yamaha E-Competition midi file downloaded from their website. http://www.piano-e-competition.com/

http://www.piano-e-competition.com/ecompetition/contestantbios/gregorydeturck.asp

It's beautifully played here on my LX by Gregory DeTurck, an American pianist in the competition.

WAV_0495--Debussy--Pour les arpeges compossess--from Douze Etudes- http://www.box.net/shared/ng9f4833r4 or http://www.box.net/shared/static/ng9f4833r4.mp3


A little "Full Moon and Empty Arms" (Rachmaninoff)
http://www.box.net/shared/rposi7hf1h or http://www.box.net/shared/static/rposi7hf1h.mp3


ps...this is a puzzling phenomenon, Patrick maybe you can explain? When I listen through my headphones to these files below, I am getting a clearer, less distorted sound from these mp3's. ...wondering why that is? On my computer, they don't play through the Windows media like the others, but through a different format.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/ng9f4833r4.mp3 (Debussy)

http://www.box.net/shared/static/rposi7hf1h.mp3 (Full Moon)

Well, it is April, after all!

April in Paris -- E.Y. Harburg/ Vernon Duke, a simple arrangement from Hal Leonard "Jazz Farvorites"

This is on the Lester (which was sounding particularly tuneful today--and D5 is definitely on its way back to its old self, again). I edited out the mistakes, EQ'd it a little, added reverb, etc., etc. Hope you like it!

--Andy Strong

1940 Lester spinet tuned to EBVT III, recorded with 2 Sony Electret condenser mics (ECM 220), through a Yamaha Audiogram 6 usb input device, into Cubase AI4.
Cross-posted in Pianist Corner--Member Recordings.

Someone pointed out to me in a private e-mail that the figure for G# was missing from the list of offsets for the 1/7 Comma Meantone (with one pure 5th). Here is the list with that figure added:

Andy,

Your Lester sounds quite nice considering that it has been more than two weeks since I tuned it. It has such an irregular scale that even the most careful compromise sounds well, compromised. Your playing sounds very nice. I may consider this selection for my website of how well even the most lowly spinet can sound with loving care.

Thanks,

Enjoyed the clip Andy...thanks for posting it.

Thank you, GP. Thank you, Bill--I'd consider it a high honor to have you include my piano music on your website.

Bill, a week or so after you tuned my piano, we had one of those Spring weather fronts move through, and the piano went wacky for a few days, then settled back down to sweetness (to my ears, anyway...). I think the humidity also helped D5, the hammer that I needled a little too aggressively, to come back. When I heard the piano back in tune, that's when I recorded "April in Paris," and this:

The Nearness of You

On this one, I spliced together the best of several takes, but I did no sound enhancements except for a hiss filter--no EQ, no reverb. So, this is pretty much pure Lester spinet sound in mellowed EBVT III. Hope you like it!

--Andy

Andy,

The "Nearness of You" sounds as sweet as candy! Aside from the basic sound of the piano, I can tell that the regulation has helped you play expressively. The keys actually respond as you would expect them to!

This reminds me of the guy who was a piano performance student in college but at home, had a Baldwin Acrosonic spinet. I tried to tell him that if the same kind of care were to be applied to the regulation of that instrument as would be on a fine grand, as a practice keyboard at least, he could get everything from it that he needed.

During my entire career as a piano technician, I have been told by other technicians that you just don't do that! I've seen it written on Pianotech and on the now defunct MPT list by a technician who held himself above all others that he would not actually regulate a spinet. Oh yes, he would make a key "work" but that is as far as he would go. He would tell the owner instead to buy a better piano or refer it to his competition.

I suppose those remarks were intended to impress the others with how good he was. I was not impressed at all. I wrote that he was proclaiming to purposefully neglect needed service. How did that fit with a professional responsibility to provide the best service possible under the circumstances?

Needless to say, I got climbed all over about that. I was causing trouble. Piano technicians have the right to hate spinets and neglect them! One rather famous guy from Europe wrote a long essay on freedom of speech about it. He said that he had the right to say in public that a piano is junk and that he would not service it!

Now, everyone has their limit and there are pianos not worth repair or salvage. However, I have seen so many perfectly good little pianos that only needed the kind of routine service that any piano of any make or model needs go an entire lifetime without having a finger lifted to perform these services. What a delight to the customer the difference a vacuum cleaner and a screwdriver can do!

We saw the very same kinds of remarks made here on PWF. When I suggested that a spinet action can be made to repeat as fast or very nearly so as any fine grand, I got climbed all over about it. Mocked and ridiculed. It was mockingly suggested that I make a You Tube video of how this was to be done. Actually, it is not a bad idea. It is possible, after all to lift a spinet action out, tighten the flanges, file and align the hammers, clean out the keybed and regulate it.

I am glad I saw the presentations given by Jack Wyatt RPT because he showed clearly how a spinet action can be regulated so that it will repeat as well as any other type of action. When the action repeats that well, it also follows that it will produce the most dynamic range possible too. I said that on here and it got turned into me claiming that an Acrosonic was just as good as a Steinway grand. I never said or claimed that but that is what certain people harped on and on about.

I normally service all makes and models of pianos, the majority of them are fine grands. However, when I come to a little spinet that has been neglected, I see more opportunity to make a positive difference than I ever do with a finer instrument. It is truly amazing how the much difference the most basic techniques can make!

I'm glad you are enjoying the fruits of both your and my attention to the little piano you brought home one day!

Very nice Andy...the Lester sure has a unique sound. Thanks for posting it.

I have a some trouble discerning what exactly you are trying to say Bill. "as fast" or "very nearly so" are mutually exclusive, somewhat contradictory terms. If Jack Wyatt clearly showed how it "will repeat as well as any other action" then why include the "nearly so" comment? In reality, they can be regulated to repeat "as fast" as any action or NOT. I beleive they cannot, as well as many other techs and RPT techs. Your posting seems to imply that proper regulation alone is the only factor that can equalize repetition speed between a lowly spinet and a fine grand.

I don't believe this is true because the quality and consistancy of the build, fit and finish of the parts, and extreme design differences also play a huge part in how far a regulation can take you. It won't keep me from regulating a spinet that needs it or complying with a customers wishes for me to do so; but I explain the limitations so I don't need to hear them whine about why it won't repeat like the Steinway grand that costs more than 10 times as much.

Ok, as far as I see it, there are two vices here...

I encounter neglected uprights on a weekly basis, the reason for not caring about them being that they are not grands.
On the other hand, getting away with sloppy upright regulation by using the phrase "buy a better instrument" isn't a good thing either.

Any piano player trying to express anything musically will benefit from a grand, S&S's in particular. That does of course not mean that lesser instruments should be neglected.

Bill,

I kind of wish now that we had made a video of the work done to the Lester, starting with your reshaping of the hammers and my tightening the flanges, all the way through your regulating work and my assault of D5 with a needle! I certainly concur with what you say about being able to play more expressively now that the Lester has been regulated. The keys operate so predictably and responsively, now. And the repetition speed is excellent. My dad had a Yamaha grand with an action that played like silk. One of the reasons I was drawn to this cast-off spinet is because the action reminded me a little of the Yamaha. Now that you've regulated it, it reminds me even more of the responsivness that that Yamaha had. The Lester's touch is very similar to it now.

As you know, in my new-found zeal to play music on the Lester that fits the Lester, I am working on the little Clementi Sonatina in D, Op. 36, No. 6. Here is a short clip of the first movement, "Allegro con Spirito," emphasis on "CON SPIR-EEE-TO!!!," from a recent practice session, to demonstrate the speed at which this humble spinet can now go:

Clementi Clip (short)

The fact is, I used to blame some of my poor playing on the inadequacies of my instrument. Now that the piano has been regulated, I can no longer use that excuse!

--Andy

Andy,

I really want to hear and use the rest of the Clementi on my website! As you may recall, that piece used to be in my repertoire and I used to play it for my clients after tuning. It wouldn't take much for me to re-learn it and use it again. I'm sure that many people who would have a small piano would know that piece as well.

You may not be able to use a poor regulation as an excuse any more but I believe that a poor regulation also hindered you. Now that the keys all respond as they should, your technique should also improve over time.

How about saving a little money now for a humidity control system for the Lester? You can get it at cost from Schaff. I have DVD's from the manufacturer about how to install one and it is something you can learn to do all on your own.

Only up to a certain point Andy. When we speak of repetition speed, the benchmark of any test is on a single note using parallel (multiple finger technique) approach rather than serial approach of one finger; not by playing a peice with different notes at quick tempo. Even a trill (generally using 2 fingers) is true repetition speed of a note, divided by 2.

Also, the clip is not a good example of repetition speeds as we are speaking about here. A glissando, for example can be executed on even a poorly regulated piano, producing an effect of even greater speed than the clip (as you interpret it here).

Interesting to note, that even the big boys at Kawai found out years ago in their testing labs when they hit a wall in increasing repetition speeds, that proper, or even hot-rodded regulation techniques could only get you so far. Their conclusion...in order to increase repetition speeds (by a claimed 25%)on grands, they had to make the action parts stronger and lighter with the use of ABS/Carbon.

I have two identical spinets that I practice on regularly in my home. One I have tweaked up in regulation to give me the utmost speed in repetition. It is stable and does not require much maintenance since it has a D.C. climate control in it and is in a more central part of the home. I regulated the other one to the same effect and continually had problems with inconsistancies, failure to properly repeat as the seasons changed. I was forced to regulate this piano closer to factory-like specs and wider tolerances to allow for this, and lost considerably on its ability to repeat with speed in comparison.

Much like this second spinet, these are more the norm for what we encounter in customers' homes. They often have worn parts. They don't have D.C. systems on them. They fluctuate with often wild humidity swings. If the customer had a budget to constantly adjust and re-tweak the regulation to fight this, they probably would be better off simply buying a newer, better piano, or a grand, where an overall quicker repetition speed can be realized, without the issues that come with spinets in these settings.

Also take into account that a pianist with the capabilities that approach most well regulated pianos' maximum repetition speed, also generally play/practice a lot. This means parts get worn. It is important for a tech to understand how far they can go with regulation adjustments before before you hit a wall regarding worn parts. Fully replacing these parts can quickly exceed the value of the used spinet itself. Most techs balk at leaving a wake of work behind them that reflects a loss of value to a customer in the end. This is especially true when it takes up your time you could otherwise be spending doing work that reflects a better relationship between the money spent and what the customer ends up with in the end.

Thanks for that, Bill! As soon as I can put down a clean performance of the whole thing, I'll post it! Both movements!



Thanks for that, too, Emmery. I knew that, but didn't have any good recorded examples to share, just yet. There is a Tansman piece called "Mars" that I am working on for the next "Unsung Heros" e-cital in Pianist Corner that features just such a repeated note. The fingering is 4-3-2 on an Eb (4th octave), very quick succession. The rhythm evokes the galloping of a war horse. I had always been frustrated playing it on the Lester because I couldn't get it to flick back the way I wanted it to. Now--no problemo! The Clementi Sonatina I am working on has just such a trill as you mentioned, in the 2nd movement... The fingering is 1-3 on the A and B in the 5th octave over two measures--a long-ish trill with a decrescendo--very cute! I hope to post it soon.

Perhaps this clip will show better what I mean about how happy I am with the repetition speed--the repeated notes occur at 0:10, 0:14, and 0:16, with 0:14 the clearest example of what my fingers were able to muster during practice that day...

Bach Partita No. 4 - Courante Clip (short)

--Andy

Andy, I do not doubt that your piano and your efforts playing it have benefitted from some regulation work. I typically see smaller verticls and spinets which through years of playing have deteriorated from both wear and regulation issues. Typically from several of my customers that are teachers here at the Royal Conservatory of Music, they often recommend to their students a move up to a grand piano once their skill levels have advanced enough.

The teachers generally agree that the music they are studying reaches a level around the 6th-7th grade level and beyond, where most uprights hinder advancement of proper skills because of mechanical limitations (repetition speeds being one of them). Take for example one of many factors effecting repetition speed, such as measured upweight. Most pianos rarely are adjusted to go lower than a minimum accepted level for safety. The flattening of leather by the jack, hammers wearing or reducing in mass from filing, varying or changing amounts of friction on action pinning ect... can cause failure if this number is adjusted too low. Same goes for the minimum amount of let off, after touch and many of the other adjustments that can be made. Almost all regulation adjustments have 2 limits, one for safety and reliability, the other for maximum performance. It is very difficult to approach the maximum performance levels or levels comparable to a fine grand, without compromising safety and reliability issues with a spinet.

I suppose that if a tech was extremely familiar with a spinet, its changing environment and the effects on it, and familiar with a customers preference for the type of touch they prefer, some improvements can surely be made in regulation that would make the piano perform,repeat better. It just won't be ever as good as a finely regulated grand. They are apples and oranges.

I think that any experienced tech with a good background of regulating can take a spinet to a level of where it was designed and expected to perform. There are a few tricks and things that can be massaged a little beyond if they know what they are doing and reliability does not suffer. Nothing is financially viable on a spinet if it exceeds the cost of what the instrument is worth. Unfortunately, even the cost of 4 tunings ($400-$600) exceeds the value of most of them I see. Heck, I see adverts where people give them away, provided you pay for the moving. Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear; doesn't seem right to charge someone for the promise of doing so either.

Sometimes, money is not the issue. And sometimes, money figures into the issue by calculus, not algebra. And sometimes, it's a story problem!

I've said it before--I'll say it again: I'm just glad I found someone who cares for my spinet like I would if I could. I've got the additional bonus of finding someone who tunes it in a way that makes it sound better than ever, and who is willing to help me learn how to care for it myself! But wait--that's not all! It also happens that the person behind the tuning and the teaching (Bill) is a principled, sensitive, intelligent, and resourceful individual who has learned to "set his face like flint." The work he has put into my piano at my request has been worth every penny. I have a vision for the kind of music I want to make on the Lester--a very clear vision to be realised deliberately. It may take me a while to refine my performing and recording technique, but I'll get there. Heck, at 49, I'm still young! In the meantime, I'll continue to collect the recordings I post for fun and learning for my friends at PW, and put them on little home-made CDs that I hand out for free to people in my town when they express interest or exhibit a need. So far, the feedback is that my idealized wobbly playing is bringing listeners joy and, at times, even profound emotional release, and that's what it's all about in my book! And when my time on earth is through, someone is going to get a nice little spinet that doesn't look like much, but that is a blast to play! What an excellent instrument this will be for a budding pianist to learn on!

I'll share a very personal picture with you, Emmery. Sometimes I imagine myself on tour like Horowitz... only I am traveling with my beloved Lester... and my beat-up piano and my beat-up self share the spotlight on the finest stages in the world playing to audiences of people from all walks of life who are mystified and moved by the beauty of the music they hear.

I think I shall nickname "The Mighty Lester" and call him "Scrappy"--Webster's 2nd sense of the word: aggressive and determined in spirit.

--Andy

P.S. Grandpianoman, I sure don't mean to hijack your thread in any way! I just thought it might be nice to share the sound of EBVT III on my two working pianos because, like you, it is something I truly believe in. I certainly have enjoyed the warm welcome of contributing recordings to the discussion. Once I got that far, I thought it might be nice for people to know why and how the sound of my pianos is improving. I live in constant hope that this narrative and my little recorded efforts might inspire some to do the best they can with what they have, and keep on keepin' on! Thanks, again, for starting this thread and for your generosity in posting all of your wonderful recordings! I've learned a TON!

Andy, the more the merrier!

I started this thread because I was taken with the sound of my piano in EBVT III and wanted to share that enthusiasm...look at it's effect! It's received an enormous amount of interest, views etc.....and it's exposed a lot of people to a wonderful, alternative temperament. It's even started a think tank for a possible app for ETD's! Your contributions just add to the discovery and enjoyment. In no way have you hijacked this thread. "keep 'em coming" as they say.

Bill has been great throughout this whole experience, I applaud his professionalism! It's great that Bill has been such a help with your piano as well.

On that note, here are a few more files I recorded yesterday.

As I recall, have not recorded any Mozart in EBVT III....this will correct that omission.

Mozart 1 on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/053yjfz93v or http://www.box.net/shared/static/053yjfz93v.mp3

Mozart 2 on the LX http://www.box.net/shared/n54pz9ol0y or http://www.box.net/shared/static/n54pz9ol0y.mp3

180 deg from Mozart Easy Jazz http://www.box.net/shared/0ko3kqnvoc or http://www.box.net/shared/static/0ko3kqnvoc.mp3

Andy,

While the Horowitz dream seems a little over the top to me, I see a real possibility for a sustained career for you for your later years: piano technician, piano restorer, performer and teacher. Many before you have done it and still do it today in small towns just as yours and from a home very much like yours.

There are so many American made treasures out there waiting to be re-made into new ones for families to enjoy just as they did from their original state. Grandpianoman's is a good example of that. He has certainly put far more money into his piano than it was ever "worth" when he bought it and probably far more than he could ever get if he were to try to sell it now. That is, of course, not what he has in mind. He has yet another similar item pending delivery, for that matter.

How people choose to spend their time and money is their own business. American piano manufacturing has been reduced from over 300 manufacturers 100 years ago to just three now. That's a 99% decline. Are we to just throw every single old piano in the landfills?

You may never have the time in the rest of your life to progress to the point of being a restorer of fine grands but there will surely be the need and demand for the rejuvenation of lesser instruments for as long as you can conceivably work. There will be people in your community who want them and children who will want to take lessons on them.

Every time I see a Baldwin Acrosonic, for example, I see a piano that begs for some tender, loving care. I saw two of them yesterday. A senior care center had two of them donated to it. The same facility has three fine grands in the ground level common areas. There is a Shigeru Kawai in the auditorium which I will tune on Saturday for the local Piano Teachers Association recital event. I have to do it on Saturday because my schedule is completely full otherwise this week.

That auditorium will be full with the audience from the facility and others who go there to hear the youngsters play. Many other artists, both professional and piano performance majors from the university go there to perform for regularly scheduled events. The piano has a humidity control system to keep it in tune the best it can be for the many people who use it every week.

There is a small Kawai grand with a player system in the cafe and a beautifully restored Chickering grand in another assembly area in the north wing. All of these pianos are used very often. That is not the end of it. Recently, three more pianos were donated to the facility and money was also given to have them serviced. They are located in the common areas upstairs where the residents live. Other residents have pianos in their apartments. There are enough pianos just in that one facility that I am called to work there several times a year.

The Acrosonic has been the subject of much ridicule by piano technicians over the years but I have always seen them in a different light. To me, they are an elegant piece of American craftsmanship or many style and design variations. The work that they need to perform and look as intended has as many variations as the there are case designs.

I have always been interested in re-scaling one of these pianos. You have a piano supply house that is a mere hop, skip and jump from you that can provide nearly everything that you would need to recondition or restore any one of these. That work can all be done from your basement workshop. As long as you keep things low key and you have good relations with your neighbors, you can do such work within the local ordinances and thus at minimum cost.

Take a look at this site for water based lacquer refinishing products. Spraying solvents would not be something you would want to do or could legally do in your home but spraying water gets around that problem: http://www.lmii.com/carttwo/Oxford.htm

I would like to get you started learning to tune. We can do that on either of the pianos you have now that are in working condition.

Thanks GP! Thanks Bill!

See, that's what I like about this thread!-- It's inspirational!

Bill, I will be in touch soon to discuss next steps...

--Andy

My Pianist Corner friend Angelina Pogorelich once said that she thought playing Bach was like confession. Did that ever strike a chord with me! As we come to that time of year that the church calls "Easter," here is one such piece I want to share that, as I have gotten to know it over the years, has certainly stirred my soul and kept me honest (in the manner of 1st Corinthians 11:28).

This is one of those pieces that I had never heard before I started working on it. This particular movement always struck me as having an unusual "something extra" to it, and as I got to know it better, it constantly evoked one thing: Jesus' walk to the cross. With a few more years behind me, now, I see it situated from Jesus' point of view in the Garden of Gethsemene--a poignant reflection on the life he is about to give up, looking directly at and through the agony he is sure to endure through the crucifixion, to the certainty that, in that act of sacrifice, there is triumph over death not only for him, but for all those who, forever after, would look to him, hear the Message and choose the Way. That is truly Good News made possible by a terrible price.

So, please forgive me if it's not played like an Allemande ought to be played, but this is how it speaks to me...

Bach Partita No. 4 - Allemande

--Andy Strong

Crossposted in Pianist Corner, "Member Recordings" sub-forum