Monthly Technical
"Making the Difference in Piano Service."
Arbeau Piano
Blue Springs, MO 64015
(816) 228-8806
arbeaupiano@comcast.net
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It has been a privilege in over twenty one years as a professional piano technician to have had many technical training studies provided from various piano manufacturers and their technical staff. Knowledge and education are the basic tools and foundation upon which our "God given" talents/skills are allowed to flourish and bloom. I count it my greatest joys in the trade, to sit under such dedicated instructors and inventors who have made the piano industry what it is today.
I am most appreciative to The Yamaha Corporation and it's staff and to my local Yamaha Dealer, Schmitt Music of Overland Park, KS for allowing me the opportunity to visit....
Yamaha Corp. of America, Buena Park, CA.
Pictured Front row,(left to right): Part of the Management @ Yamaha Corp.of America, Buena Park, CA
Shinya Matsumoto, LaRoy Edwards, Bill Brandom, David Reed
Second and Third row (left to right): Piano Technicians/Rebuilders(many also musicians)
Charles Slaughter,Thorton, NH, Mabel Chan, Rocklin, CA, Jaimelyn McLeod, Spokane, WA, Gerald Arbeau, Blue Springs, MO, Steven Bradley, Propect, KY, Thomas Kuntz, Coeur D'alene, ID, Robert Lopez, Van Nuys, CA, and Daniel Terwilliger, Anchorage, AK
What an honor it has been to be a part of this group! Each one of these individuals has such a significant dedication to the fine arts not merely limited to the piano industry, but many are gifted in various other endeavors of the music arts, specialized rebuilding and some in teaching/testing within the Piano Technicians Guild.
These piano technicians were invited by the Yamaha Corp. to a full week of specialized training at their facilities based upon the high recommendations of their local Yamaha dealers. One exception to that was Robert Lopez, his outstanding abilities were acknowledge from Yamaha Corp. themselves. Getting to know Robert and all others in this group I came away with such deep appreciation for them all.
Briefly, I will try to give you a little introduction of the first four men in this picture. I apologize that I can't begin to include all their many assigned functions and duties, but to just say having met them previously (at PTG conventions and even special technical programs at Yamaha dealers) they are genuinely wonderful people that I have enjoyed knowing all the more.
Shinya a native of Japan, has been in the States for roughly going on three years. He oversees the American operations of the Yamaha piano division and works closely with the parent company in Japan to include quality, marketing, servicing and various other interest. He has a gifted technical background in piano performance as well as first hand knowledge of the Japan factories processes. He is an excellent instructor with a sense of humor as well!
LaRoy has been "grandfathered" in, since he probably was their first Yamaha of the America "service type people" that actually started much of the organizing of the service, training and supply inventories to our country. LaRoy has "done it all"! I might add he has also done this while being a charter member of our national Piano Technicians Guild". (I could write this complete article just about LaRoy, and yet not do him justice for what he has contributed to our industry and education.) He is an inventor of specialized equipment and tools for our trade. LaRoy has brought many of us along with his soft "fatherly" style of teaching. And yet, in his mid-70"s LaRoy has such dedication to improve the piano industry by his very active continued dedication in sharing his wealth of knowledge! It is no wonder the Yamaha Company has done so well here in the USA because of dedicated people such as LaRoy!
Next... I may show a little prejudice because this man (as I), grew up in the best place in America, Missouri. Bill has a relationship to LaRoy as one can almost see, perhaps like an adopted son. Having followed such a wonderful mentor has developed such a dynamic effect. I've never laughed so, as with the times I've spend around Bill! Yet, all the while we constantly learned from his craft. Bill has worn so many hats in the company, I'm not sure which one to say fits the most, except to acknowledge him as the focal point to the Disklavier Pianos. He works with the large staff that designs the many facets to the "Yamaha Disklavier Players". Bill takes the very serious highly technical part of the disklavier piano through the world of electronics and yet keeps us focused on people and enriching the enjoyment of their events and life through music.
This next man is so very quite mannered I would have never guessed him to be a true Texan! Not only is David skilled with his personal abilities in piano technologies, but he instructs and challenges us in the best and correct ways to deal with resolving misunderstandings and differences of opinions within our field and customers. Under his instruction I came to respect and understand why Yamaha Corp. chose him for the Manager of the Piano Service Department. How I will look forward to working with him over the years as truly leads and challenges us to be the very best we can. I've adopted a few tuning techniques based on understanding his approach and listening skills. Again, David is another reason why Yamaha Corp. works so well with America! If anyone has a problem in the service end, David will get this resolved!
What a full and rewarding week I had at Yamaha Corp.! They treated us as wonderful guest and yet like family, and gave us such wonderful accommodations for our stay. The skills that I have improved upon and the knowledge I have gained from them will help me provide the very best to my customers. What a wonderful life it is to be a piano technician when you have such support of manufacturing and technicians!
Ask me why I believe in the Yamaha products, I'll be glad to share with you!
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Below is one of my new favorite inventions of LaRoy Edwards. It is a portable "Grand Action Work/Regulation Bench"
With this work/regulation table the action can be removed from the piano for extensive detailed adjustments or repaired and returned in and out of the piano for routine checks very easily. The height is adjustable to accommodate various pianos. Once collapsed for storage this unit is very light and easy to carry. Thanks LaRoy, for another good useful invention!
YAMAHA CORP.
Tuning & Pitch Stabilization
By understanding the very fundamentals that drive our tunings and pitch in our pianos out, we then can begin improving those factors that would add stability to our tunings and pitch. A definition of tuning would be the relationship to the equal distance between all twelve halfsteps in an octave(called equal-temperament). Pitch would be defined as the assigned frequency or vibration to each specific note based upon a universal musical standard (such as "concert pitch" of A4=440).
First, we must understand that nothing can substitute for a solid instrument as this relates to its "structural integrity" ie( solid bridges, solid pinblock, solid soundboard and crown, solid plate and frame/post/cabinet).Secondly, tuning/pitch servicing frequencies need to be skillful and often enough that no "great changes" in adding or reducing tension(pitch) because that will directly affect stability.
Okay, if our instrument is a "solid" instrument and the tuning/pitch has been maintained to a consistent standard pitch then two main factors will be the driving force of change to this balance. Both of these with understanding and consideration on our part can greatly improve the longevity of tuning and pitch stability.
The first here would be the style and amount you play your piano. Yes, just like miles on the odometer of your car equals necessity of servicing based on usage... but the very "kinder" type of usage can greatly improve or reduce that frequency. "Opening your piano up during the time you play" (close it when done) will reduce the amount of impact or hardness you need to play because the piano becomes SO MUCH LOUDER... and therefore.. you'll need to adjust your touch to play more skillful and lighter...therefore reducing the stress on the strings, the hammers and all other related mechanisms!!!! For practice drills and repetitive studies some verticals actually have a mute bar/practice bar that is excellent for times when tone is not the issue. Removing obstacles that absorb/block sound, opening the piano up when playing dynamic passages and not needlessly playing "HARDER THAN NECESSARY" will help many things about your piano last longer! And, CLOSE THE PIANO UP when you are through playing!!! Dust and dirt are not good things! The inside of a grand piano will stay "prettier longer" when saved for special occasions.
The second equally important factor...STABILIZE THE HUMIDITY as well as the temperature of your piano! Constantly, well intending people are always justifying that their home is "air-conditioned" and therefore they think this includes humidity controlled. I give the example of many days that it maybe raining outside with 100% humidity and because the temperature is 70 degrees the air will not be on that day. Our furnaces and air-conditioners even with additional de-humidifiers or humidifiers are only operating during the time that the "thermostats" calls for temperature adjustments... otherwise nothing is happening.
Ideally, to acclimate the entire room that the piano is in with an independent humidifier/dehumidifier equipment from the heat/air- system is best. Second best, if that is not practical, would be a controlled system within the piano itself. The product that seems to be widely used and trusted is made by the "Dampp-Chaser Company" although there are other systems also available. These systems to work well require installation by a skilled piano technician that has received installation training/education for these systems. The additive products should never be substituted. A word of caution, incorrectly installed , they can actually damage your piano!
The above picture shows the basic essentials of the "Dampp-Chaser System" underneath the soundboard. Generally there maybe more than one de-humidifier rod and the wattage of these may be higher for locations where humidity is higher. The real bonus of these units is that properly installed, the stability of the instrument is merely the by product of what actually is going on inside these pianos! The real work is effective in action response stability, prevention of rust on steel parts and strings, preventing soundboard and bridge fractures and cracks due to humidity stresses.
These units are not probably feasible for low value instruments but are an insurance policy for premium valued instruments. To often the case, that new grand customers wait two or three years after purchasing their piano to add these units after noticeable humidity or lack of humidity has begun the damage.
One bonus feature that I would strongly recommend is to have the "Smart Bar" unit in the Humidifier . This is a small upcharge, but well worth. If the humidifier runs dry this bar shuts itself off instead of then working as a dehumidifier when empty.
As previously stated, I have had several occasions to have to "RE-INSTALL" complete systems that have damaged pianos installed by someone who did not install these correctly. The components need to be positioned as to be as high in the piano as to help stabilize the humidity condition with the ability to have safe circulation and balance with the humidistat unit. Some humidifiers were located right up against the soundboard causing condensation right on the soundboard itself. One humidifier had been located in a pocket with no circulation that had caused the actual rim of a Steinway "B" to have significant woodrott.
I find these units to be a great addition when correctly installed but as with anything, there is no substitute for getting skilled technical workmanship. To cut corners on one side generally leads to higher cost on the other.
Hopefully, with this technical help you may find a few points that will help you and your piano to become better friends as you understand each other better! My old 1922 Grand sure sounds good and I want to make the most of it I can! You may not have to spend a lot to help your piano out with a little TLC!
MICE ARE NOT CUTE
These little creatures maybe "cute" to some as in pictures of Walt Disney's characters, but there is nothing funny what they are doing when inside your piano.
Because they have no bladder everywhere they travel can be detected under black light because of their urine trail. This is not a nice thought and it is even worse to notice what this trail does to any metal parts of a piano they cross. This causes rust and corrosion on everything and eventually causes weak broken springs, strings and pins that can no longer function as intended.
Notice in the picture above how the center keypins are rusted and now will always be sluggish as the summer humidity will help continue this rusting process. This repair would require new centerpins and rebushing the keys. A cost that would be several hundred dollars.
Below, in this piano the mice decided to hide underneath the keys. They discovered they enjoyed sharpening their teeth by chewing on keys and the key frame. If not discovered in time they can destroy a piano to outrageous repair cost.
Not all cats make good "mousers" and with this I would advise you to keep a sharp eye out for any signs of these unwanted pests around. The sooner you deal with them when you suspect they've moved in the better!
DIRT-Tone Robber
I am declaring war on things that rob tone and life to our pianos. In addressing this subject there is one main culprit to this problem. That is...Dirt and built up Dust. I 've had one tuner respond to me when I spoke to this issue with his reply, "But what if the customer doesn't want their piano cleaned?"
I have yet to ever have a customer tell me , "No, just leave it dirty".
Below notice how this bridge has a build up of dust before I started cleaning this piano. Interesting enough this was a piano that had been tuned fairly often. After vacuuming this piano before starting tuning I simply wanted to hear the tone difference. The customer called from the next room and asked how I made it sound like that.
I find it hard to believe that people get use to looking at this type of dirty piano and accepting this as normal appearance. This is especially hard to understand why someone in the church doesn't complain....
Not only does this piano look better, it will prevent rust and corrosion on bright metal parts and then consider it also reduces the potential of bug infestation when they are frequently vacuumed.
I would not encourage just anyone to clean the piano in this manner. Cleaning agents in the wrong places can do irreversible damage. Incorrect cleaning technique may permanently scratch soft soundboards, plastics or finishes. Vacuuming loose parts may remove expensive hard to replace small piano parts.
I do encourage you to ask your piano technician why they are not doing this to maintain the overall care of your high value instrument. If they are to lazy to do this, what other things are they neglecting?
After the soundboard, strings and plate are clean, the next step would be to clean the action. Notice all the items found inside this action on the picture below. You would be amazed how much easier and responsive the action is following a good cleaning and friction lubrication treatment.
When we practice a little preventive maintenance on our pianos the first thing we may notice is the improved "playability" or responsive touch. The second thing is that this may help the longevity of our musical investment. So basically, this is a win-win for those who are serious musicians!
When asking about your piano service provider, ask what they include in their normal scheduled service appointment besides "tuning"!
Good Piano technicians generally want to take care of the instrument, not merely just "tune".
Now....lets get serious about something and make a difference this year!
I'll be listening for you.
This customer called because some notes were not playing well! I found it amazing that this piano worked as well as it did with all this junk in the action.
If notes are not playing, it is wise not to force the keys. A ten cent pencil may cause a hundred dollar repair!
KEY ISSUES-PART III
KEY ISSUES Part I
We often take for granted those little white and black keys. They set our melodic passages to motion within the piano as our fingers skillfully glide across them. Truly, if they have a good feel they are as well fit leather gloves to our hands. If they have broken or sharp edges and sideward movement, it is unpleasant and lend inconsistency to our musical experience.
We will begin the discussion with several aspects to these keys that give us the good or not so good feel to our instrument. The keys are generally made of a high quality light weight wood that has a centerpin pivot point and a frontpin under the approximate placement of our touch point that maintains consistent alignment. The two keypins (center & front) glide though their key mortises with high density wool felt carefully lined inside the keys to give them a minimum of side movement and a smooth feel.
At the opposite side of the key's playing surface you will find the capstan. (On the grand keys it also includes the back-check which catches the hammer just after it Strikes the string). In the picture above you will notice that the brass capstans are polished with brass cleaner and then lubricated to reduce any friction from metal oxidation. Likewise, in the lower picture notice the keypins as well are also cleaned and lubricated. This is part of the maintenance program I call "friction point service". This greatly enhances the ability to have a very responsive key and that aides in the dynamic expression and repetition speed of our piano!
Following issues, we will see the process to "rebush" the keymortises and restore the new feel from worn key bushing felt that give us a loose-sloppy key movement. Today, let us examine the keytop surfaces and what can be done in restoration to the feel and appearance of them. Of course our present and end piano value must be considered before entering into this investment. This may increase a quality piano value, but may exceed the reasonable investment value of low end pianos. There is always someone to take your money! The keys below where just requiring a few ivory replacements. The ivory must be matched for color, thickness, length and width. This is not just a process of taking old ivory off one used key and placing on another!
The above ivory and ebony keys have been "restored" with color matches and then polished. This is a premium to actually have the "Good Stuff". This comes at a high price that plastic replacements may be more economical if there were several to replace. Below is a plastic keytop replacement that simulates the ivory color in an alternative to "bright plastic white". This is my preference for older pianos to enhance original appearance when the original keytops are not an option.
An alternative to a low value piano maybe to simply file off the rough end edges, (see below). This allows you to still have the ivory feel and significantly reduce the cost of a complete keytop replacement.
The next picture shows the process of new keytop replacements. This is a very exacting process to maintain key squareness, consistent key thickness and proper adhesion and finished edges.
Notice the new red Keybushings (center) have also been replaced. Many times piano keytops have been replaced without replacing the worn keybushings. I believe that is like repainting a nice car without repairing the body underneath the new paint. The end result is not only to "look good" but most important it is the TOTAL FEEL that a finished job results in!
After the keys have the keytop surface restored or replaced... the keydip and the keys need to be leveled. This includes white and black keys.
Hopefully, this topic on keys may help you appreciate the significance of how they not only look but especially the feel of them. Several of you have emailed with questions on specific considerations on your pianos. We are always glad to hear from you. We may not be able to service your piano in a distant location to us, we always enjoy helping you through those important decisions to your piano.
There are many skilled piano technicians all over this wide world! I hope that in the next few months these technicals may help you appreciate their devotion and love to the art of restoration of the quality instruments. A first class restoration adds value and years of pleasure to your musical experience.
Waterfall Style Keytops (pictured below)
Key Issues Part II
Several of you have contacted us concerning the possibilities of new keytop replacements on your instrument. My reply to your consideration of this in your piano was:
"What is the current value and condition of your piano, and what will the end value of your piano be after this considerable investment is completed."
There are many that will take your money with no consideration to "was this a wise investment of your dollar?" Yes, there are many worthy instruments that this will greatly improve the pianos end value but equally, there are also more instruments that could use this service but the cost may be more than the actual value of the "fair market value" of that instrument.
The piano picture above would fit in the group that key repairs if significant may not justify the investment (in my opinion). The waterfall keys are very interesting but are outrageously expensive to repair/replace. These type keys were almost entirely in spinets and consoles that the present age now have other aging areas that are requiring attention. I don't know of any moderate or high value pianos with this style keys that would justify the cost of new keytops of this style. Perhaps by making that statement if there are some I will hear from someone that I shall stand corrected and then I can report this to you! Until then, I will keep this statement.
In "Part I", you may have noticed in the pictures that by the time I am replacing the finished keytops the keybushings have been replaced. This is for good reason. The keybushings, if found to need replaced, will be steamed out, the mortises and balance hole resized with steaming as well. With all this attention and steaming process, the risk of damaging any keytop surface must be given consideration to saving it for the last. Many times it may have been the keytop was the first reason to begin this process.
Let us first examine the condition of the keybushings to evaluate the need.
The above center keybushings are not only very worn and loose but the glue has loosened to where the felt is actually missing from some bushings.(see the middle one)
The next picture you may notice there may be broken keybuttons to repair as well.
These front keybushings have many damaged from either moths and/or silverfish. There are many times that a set of keytops were replaced and yet for some reason unknown to me, the replacement to the worn/damaged bushings had not been done.
Below, notice the process of keybushings removal.
At the same process time we will resize the balance holes by steaming these as well.
Immediately while the wood is still damp the sizing cauls are inserted into the mortises or pin holes. The keys are then allowed to slowly air dry for several days before proceeding. Below are the mortises after the sizing cauls are removed.
Next we must determine the correct bushing cloth so that the bushing is going to give a firm fit to the keypin with a minimum of side play. The original bushing cloth may have not provided a long service life if the manufacturer of the piano had used a lesser quality of bushing cloth. This is an especially noticeable difference with the lesser priced pianos .
The process for rebushing both front and center bushings is the same only using the proper size cauls for the pin for that mortise. The glue of preference for this as with any future replaceable joints would be to cook/make your own fresh hide glue. The advantage of using hot hide glue is that it begins to bond as it cools and more importantly, the glue can be steamed apart again in the future without damage to fragile wooden parts. Hide glue has been the preferred glue for many centuries in fine wooden musical instruments as well as fine furniture.
The above vertical piano keys have been rebushed and are now ready for fitting to the keyframe for pin sizing and leveling. The bushings will require adjustment for exact fitting.
When the keys are to be rebushed I feel that it would be better to err with an extreme high density wool bushing cloth and endure a "break-in period' just as a new piano. The end result will be a longer durable bushing much greater quality than that of some manufactures original bushings. It never fails, no matter how much I explain this, I always have to remind the pianist of this a few months after the rebushing process. The piano factories have a machine that works the keys and action felts thousands of times before setting final regulation in the piano. I don't have such a machine but strongly believe it is better to have tighter tolerances to start with than to fit with looser fittings that after a few years are not any better fittings than the worn parts we replaced in the first place!
I will carefully "iron" these new bushings to settle the bushings as well as polish the pins and treat the bushing cloth with Teflon. This still does not mean that we are not going to have to still play-in the fit! The wonderful end will be a nice solid feel with no side play.
Just like ironing anything...the temperature must not be too hot!
There is another process of just "easing the keys" which is basically crushing in small increments the side walls of the keys on each side of the new felt bushings. To some piano tech's this is a fast fix to sluggish tight fitting bushings. I personally believe if the keymortises have been correctly sized and the felt is fit properly with high density felt there will be no longerlasting solid substitute than to avoid the temptation to "crush" the keys but instead patiently iron and break-in the fit.
Above are a few key tools used in this process, (1) Key easing pliers, (2) Pin bender and (3) Pin hole easer tool (for the center key-balance hole as well as bushings). The first tool as you know, I'm not very fond of this practice as I have explained. It is because of the use of this tool that I steam the mortises back to dimension and repair the previous damage of key compression prior to rebushing with new cloth. (But then, that is in my humble opinion.)
In the previous issue you might have notice that occasionally the keys are in good condition and yet the key bushings are being replaced. The quality and tolerances of some piano manufactures becomes evident after a few years of use. Sometimes the piano may have many things in good condition and yet, the quality of felt used in the keybushings becomes obvious.
When the time comes to rebush the keys, the cost of the highest quality bushing felt compared to moderate bushing felt is a small price difference compared to the labor and the skill of your technician. I do not want to promote a certain brand of piano over another but, I have rebuilt high end pianos that have over 60 years of service that the keybushings were in better condition than lesser quality pianos with less than 10 years of use. Some of the prices reflect long term cost in maintenance, tuning stability and resale values. I would highly recommend reading, "The Piano Book" written by Larry Fine where he addresses these grades of pianos.
After the key bushings, the key surfaces (keytops) and the center pin holes are restore to good condition the next attention concerning the actual keys must be toward the keypins, capstans and the keyframe that the keys rock upon. If mice have roamed wildly in this piano their urine has probably ruined the centerpins.
Polishing or sometimes complete replacement must be considered. This relationship of key fit and making a frictionless movement has everything to do with the success of speed of repetition and level of dynamic control or the lack there of. Without a good fit of keys and keyframe it is impossible to refine the "regulation'. (Regulation is the relationship by timing of the mechanics with in the piano action that transfer's fine touch movement into musical tone and expression.)
Condition of all felts including: #1 the back cloth, #2 the center pin punchings and #3 front pin punchings is very important to give a firm, consistent and level feel in the keys. Friction free fit has everything to do with clean and good conditioned parts and not to be substituted with simply using "lubricants" as lubricating poor or dirty parts will always give poor longlasting results.
The condition of key's capstan requires a perfect symmetrical and polished friction-free surface to continue the effort of a perfectly functioning piano. Sometimes the capstans surface tops are less than perfect having burrs and machining ridges that can be improved with a good polishing.
Attention as well to the fitting of the keyframe to the pianos keybed is the very "foundation" of the total rocking up and down as it puts the action into motion.
The keys require a precise dip amount that is a 1:5 ratio of keydip to amount of hammer travel from the rest position to string contact. If this relationship is not correct the end result is very noticed in speed, power and touch to the instrumentalist.
One issue about the keys we will not discuss presently but may be good for you to know for further discussions are the weight or lead in the keys. Sometime in the future we will discuss touch weight and hammers and their relationship. Below is a picture to display what they look like.
This concludes our series of "KEY ISSUES". I hope it has given you some new appreciation on these little white and black keys that if in correct order make our efforts a pleasant musical experience!
I always look forward to your email and correspondence to these articles.
lnk