Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum So, what did you do today?

I try to let dogs smell my hand. They assess things by scent, and once they get a whiff of you, they know you are okay. It can be a little nerve wracking, as their noses are so close to their teeth, but so far, no problems.

Its good to learn how dogs show anxiety and what things to look for, almost all breeds show these signs before an attack. Daschunds are the most likely breed to bite according to bite statistics by veteranarians.

One of those SOB weiner dogs bit me last year when I took my shoes off to go in a ladys house. it waited for my shoe to come off and clamped down on my socked foot. It set the world record for crossing a 12 foot room when my other foot gave him some swift persuasion (kick).

Some people are not dog smart either. They will bend down and stick their face right in a strange dogs face breathing on them...most dogs hate that.

Especially if you've just finished a garlic and anchovy pizza!

What did I do today, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Let's seeee.. OH, that's right! I just came home from vacation!

Tuned two Yamaha grands for the dance program at the university. Both had not been tuned in a year, and neither was very far out today. I had a chance to discuss the program with the head of it. Over the 20 years or so I have been tuning for them, these discussions have improved the program, I think.

No wonder the dog bit you...Oh, wait, was that after the dog bit you?

ddf

Repaired a grand leg that was separating, tuned a Baldwin M and prepped a Kawai for delivery.

After, of course. Or, maybe before? I ain't tellin!!! haha But, the poor doggie was put to sleep for biting to many people... The vet said the dog had bitten a few times to many...

Finally, Monday was a day off, meaning no pianos were tuned. Paperwork was still shuffled around. My ears loved the break. It's back to school tuning time!

Finished re-pinning the hammer flanges on a Schwander action for a Welmar upright. It's been frustrating, because
... different bushings reacted differently to the broaching, burnishing and pin lubrication (Protek CLP). Sometimes even the two bushings in the same flange reacted differently.
... a few days down the line, some centres became noticeably tighter (2 to 3 half-swings in stead of 4 to 5), while others became marginally looser (5 to 6 half-swings).

Now to replace the tape ends, then the action with re-shaped hammers can go back into the piano for hammer mating etc. Looking forward to it...

orientation in the bushing cloth, same direction to extract and to install the new pin, plus burnishing, using long centers, and water/alcohol final adjustment if necessary. centers up to 1350, occasional 1375, new cloth if 1400 necessary. old Schwander cloth is not so good, very dry.

After watching this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VqTwnAuHws&sns=em

on TV this morning, headed out to a brand new church client. Hopes were high for a nice large grand and maybe a newer vertical. After the nice pastor gave me tour of the grand old church, he showed me the two pianos.....

Oh oh....two 50-60 year old spinets. Oh well.....

Don

Tuned a piano that I tuned last over 20 years ago. It needed a pitch raise.

How far out was it?

Perhaps a quartertone over all but the top two octaves, and less than a semitone there. It had dropped fairly evenly.

Tuned three pianos yesterday that I had tuned about this time a year ago.. a very nice Yamaha Upright, a 1980's era Kimball console, and an early 1900's Wm. Knabe upright. Last year the Kimball and Knabe had not been tuned in several years and required large pitch raises. I was happy to see that this year, all three were only a few cents off for the most part. Each only took about 45 minutes to touch up. It was a good day!!!!

Yesterday I had a Melbourne petite grand, two keys not working, 8... I repeat 8 kids having breakfast 5' from me, then playing with a remote car, dish washing, talking...TG for ETD's. Broke two strings... please get me home.

Re-bushing Knabe keys today, both rails and tearing into a split out bass bridge.

September was my best month ever... did 20 tunings, along with a grand leg repair, a bass bridge and key top job. I really like this work... thanks so much to the techs here that have helped me along on my new career.

Thank you Frank Baxter for Piano World... you have changed my life...

Tonight, I had the pleasure of hearing a wonderful chamber music concert at Klavierhaus in NYC, in a wonderful small concert hall in the back of the store that has been remodeled with acoustics in mind. The Memling Ensemble's first concert of their series at Klavierhaus, with Harp, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Violoncello, and Piano. Music from Telemann, Pergolesi, Mozart, Bizet, Debussy, and Kreutzer, all beautifully played. Btw, these are free concerts...you can check with Klavierhaus as to the future dates.

There was a big surprise at the piano that was used. It was a 1910 Hamburg Steinway, originally owned by Mr. Guggenheim, specifically made for his wife, in an incredibly ornate hand-painted case, which was totally restored per the original, at Klavierhaus. From what they told me, Mr. Guggenheim had it hand-painted for his wife's birthday. What a beautiful piano, and it sounded great. I took a few pictures with my Iphone. It's valued at over $1,500,000+....and it's for sale...any takers? There was a recording made, and I will try and get a movement on box.net, if they will allow it.

Here are a few pictures of this beautiful instrument.

Wow!

I pulled up this thread to talk about the late 70's Aeolian spinet I worked on this morning, but after seeing those pictures, I don't freaking think so...

Hey Opera Tenor...that's ok....we are all in the 'real' world That piano is in another galaxy. LOL.

That piano has got to be one of the most beautiful if not the most beautiful, painted art-case pianos in the world.

I forgot to mention the serial # of this piano....123000.