I'm just curious, not looking for anything more than perhaps some honesty intemixed with humor. . .

Your own instruments at home: Excellent, pristine condition, perfectly in tune, voiced so well wax melts when played??

Perhaps not?

How would you describe your own instrument?

rvaga,a ca.2000 Baldwin SF-10,everything you said,except sometimes it glows in the dark.

oh, the reason I asked. . .

I knew an excellent mechanic, who drove a beater that barely ran. He didn't seem to much care!

My pianos change from time to time. Current one is a Baldwin M walnut, 12 years old, cost me $300. I tune it twice a year.

Well the music desk and front panel have been off for a week now. Tuned it about 3/4 of the
way. Kids are complaining its not tuned- wife
complains if I tune it when she is around. Can't win. One of these days Im making an appointmenr with myself to tune my piano when no one is home except my 2 cats. Of course they will probably start howling. Actually after a few days of tuning everyone else's piano tuning your own is not a priority. I'm thinking of pulling out the action next week after the wife leaves for work and I sneak back in the house. That puppy needs some serious work. Piano is a Wurlitzer console.

It's interesting (cats howling... ), somewhat like I expected: working on pianos all week, I can certainly see how working on your own does not seem thrilling, or top priority when other chores need to be done.

Do you guys (and gals) ever use your own pianos for experimentation, tweaking things to see results, trying to "hot rod" (so to speak) the design elements in certain respects, or try things just to see what happens. . .?

Next week I'm getting a small grand that is going to be my Frankenstein. It is in rough shape so anything I do will be an improvement. I will be doing a reconditioning as well as practicing voice and regulation skills. I am also going to do some veneer work and some refinish work . When I'm done I hope that it will be a complete transformation. As for the house piano the only thing I am going to tweak is the regulation and some of the dampers that are really squashed. My window of opportunity is when everyone else is out of the house. When I get done with the action it is going to work like greased lightening. The dampers will be so perfect they will look like
one solid line of felt. The key level will look like one big key... My console will sound like a concert grand

I can relate to Jim Bob. I know techs that are very anal about their pianos and tune them every two weeks. They are constantly fiddling with this and that. Me? Life's too short. Besides, a bad unison or two adds character.

Well, I can contribute at least a funny story (was not so funny at the time). . .

Years ago I was "working" on my Steinway grand (cleaning, vacuuming), took the action out and set it on the coffee table. Went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, and heard my son (toddler at the time) out in the living room, and this funny noise, kinda like a snapping sound.

Finished making my coffee real quick, turned the corner into the living room, and there he was, happily snapping off hammers. . .

Unrelated to this thread, but ahhhh, those memories!

Does this child walk with a limp now? :rolleyes:

Sorry for the late post!

I have a Sauter M upright, which doesn't get tuned as frequently as it should. Fortunately my ear won't let it get too out of tune. Regulation is in wonderful shape, and the voicing is getting a bit bright, due to excessive practice. Ok ok, I don't practice that much, but I've played enough recently to put some nice grooves in the hammers, and drive the voicing up a bit.

One of these days I'll get around to "cherrying" it out....

KlavierBauer