Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Been a while, update, questions

Hey,

So I still have my Baldwin 1963 upright. Last time it got tuned the guy broke the middle C and B string. So it still sounds when you hit the key, just quieter.

I'm wondering if strings are gonna keep breaking and it will become a never ending servicing of this thing.

Last time he tuned it... hmmm... well the tuning didn't hold for very long. I moved, and I don't have AC and there's lots of humidity changes. Day to day it sounds in or out depending. The first tuner I called on did a good job, and I didn't have it tuned for over a year.

So yeah. I guess I'll have to get a new string streched out and then have the whole thing tuned.

Part of me is wondering about getting a new piano. I like mine, and maybe it just needs a good tuning, but if I could find a used small grand and put together my trade in value plus some cash if it comes around that would be nice. There was a very old but sweet sounding small grand at the piano dealer and someone bought it. But I remember it was just nice sounding, and different to the ears. My piano is super loud. In your face. Grand pianos the sound goes up. which is nice.

Well anyway, I get paid here in the next week or so. Part of me wonders if I should just go digital and work on my compositions via MIDI and sequencers and synths like I already do, or if I should get an IPAD and learn to write music the old way, and write so that I can learn to play it back.

Oh, I want to share this piece. I made it with a sequencer, and I never figured out exactly how to play it except for the first few chords.

Check it out: https://soundcloud.com/jdsy/gusto-piano

https://soundcloud.com/jdsy/jdsy-gustofwd

Cool composition!

Only thing I can say is that you might miss the acoustic if you go all digital. Totally different experience.

My son started "composition" by improvisation and recording and then transcribing the recording. He eventually got better with writing and switched to going straight to paper. I didn't talk to him much about it, maybe he feels that it's "easier" some how?

Hello, Jasper.

Pianos get old and wear out. It's a lot of fun to wear out your own piano by playing the heck out of it!

But when you buy a used one with a lot of wear on it already, a lot of the "goodie" is gone.

Why didn't the tuner replace the strings he broke? Did he tell you that if a string broke, he would not be responsible and it would cost you more to have him replace the string(s)?

As for the loud, in-your-face sound of your upright acoustic, that is part of the wear. The hammers get hard and warn over time and with a lot of playing; the action regulation get way out of spec and the blow-distance between the hammer rest rail and the strings get too wide. Hence, the hammer hits the string with more velocity than it should causing more volume.

That can be improved to an extent, even on older pianos with a lot of wear.

The digital piano is becoming more popular and in demand than acoustic pianos. But there is no substitute for a nice acoustic piano; even if it is a bit loud and out of tune.

Go ahead and get the digital and enjoy it, but save your money and have your piano service properly or buy a better one.

Good luck!

Rick