BTW, Bernard,...good luck. I think you'll do a good job.
That's how I got started as a technician. You might want to join PTG some day,...

quote:

Originally posted by rontuner:
Between mice and months, I've come across a number of pianos where the felts under the keys were almost completely gone...

That and having the space under the keys packed with kibble... mice stashing for the lean times?!?

I'm no stranger to mice, not up here in the country. They're a perpetual problem, and they have, indeed, been in the piano before. I get a respite when the ermine comes around and cleans things up. It's been quiet up here for over a year but I've recently seen signs (not in the piano) of activity again.

I have to keep a watchful eye which is why the action gets pulled every few months.

quote:

Originally posted by catladyII:
Years ago, I had a famous client who didn't like keeping her piano in the house. She kept it in her barn. Every time she had a party or special event, we had to move it, clean it and tune it. The mousies loved having a custom pyramid mahogany Bosie to live in. We were constantly replacing anything felt.
When she died, a friend of mine bought it and had to do a complete restoration.

Oh my goodness! The barn is the last place I'd think to store a piano. Then again, I've seen some barns that looked fit for living, so who knows.

quote:

Originally posted by catladyII:
To those of you who didn't already know the story,.. it was Elizabeth Taylor.

OMG! Well I guess she could afford it. How cool that you interacted with Elizabeth Taylor!

Nope. It was a real, regular barn.

quote:

Originally posted by catladyII:
BTW, Bernard,...good luck. I think you'll do a good job.
That's how I got started as a technician. You might want to join PTG some day,...

Thanks, catladyII. I practiced on it today. Can tell it's had a little shakeup but I think it will settle in nicely. I'll be talking with my tech again soon.

I didn't know you were a technician. Cool.

PTG?! Well, after I replaced the hammers and got everything back in place, I discovered one hammer that had a stiff flange. After watching a video on re-pinning or using broaches to open the pin hole, I realized that there were at least 3 or 4 special pieces of equipment I'd need to get to fix it myself. So I simply worked the hammer back and forth a number of times and that was enough to loosen it up.

I will probably leave all repairs requiring special tools to my tech. If I were younger, it would be tempting, though.

I was a technician, (mostly rebuilder/voicer) for years before I got into sales. One of the reasons the high-end brands (August Forster, Bechstein, Bosendorfer, Grotrian, Kemble, Sauter, Schimmel) jumped into my store in Alexandria, VA.
Remember my store?

Wow! I admire your courage to do this. Will look forward to hearing how it goes.

quote:

Originally posted by catladyII:
I was a technician, (mostly rebuilder/voicer) for years before I got into sales. One of the reasons the high-end brands (August Forster, Bechstein, Bosendorfer, Grotrian, Kemble, Sauter, Schimmel) jumped into my store in Alexandria, VA.
Remember my store?

I most certainly do remember your store. I remember the time Valentina Lisitsa was there, a wonderful day.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Wow! I admire your courage to do this. Will look forward to hearing how it goes.

It went well, imo. Everything's back together again. I gave everything a good clean while I was in there. One key needs height adjustment but it's no big deal.

CatladyII OMG!!

Also, go figure, someone with the financial resources doesn’t use them!