Maintenance Schedule

[John D. Chapman]

Avery,
I went through this a couple of years ago.  Here is what I suggested:

Concert instruments need thorough regulation and key rebushing every year, 
new hammers every four years, restringing and new dampers every six years.
When restringing time arrives, consider if rebuilding is a better idea
based on pinblock and soundboard condition (maybe very twelve to eighteen 
years).

Each grand piano should be considered for, depending on usage, a touchup
regulation every year, key rebushing every three years, a thorough
regulation every six years, new hammers and dampers every twelve years,
and restringing every eighteen years.  When restringing time arrives,
consider if rebuilding is a better idea based on pinblock and soundboard
condition, if the instrument is worth rebuilding.

Each upright piano should have the same as above but based on five year
intervals instead of three years intervals.  Replace the instrument
instead of rebuilding.

All pianos should be tuned at least four times per year.
Piano faculty studio pianos should be tuned every month.
Concert instruments should be tuned the day of performance.

Computer data base should be kept on piano inventory, condition, history,
repairs, scheduling for future work, etc.

John Chapman RPT
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem NC


On Mon, 5 Feb 2001, Avery Todd wrote:

> List,
> 
> Our business manager for the music dept. just called and told me
> that the Provost's office wants some kind of maintenance schedule
> for our pianos. Things like:
> 
> 1. How often should they be tuned
> 2. How often rebuilt
> 3. How often replaced
> 4. etc., etc.
> 
> She said they are in the process of evaluating the fees charged
> to students and wanted some kind of information pertaining to this.
> Even generic info would be helpful.
> 
> I have a few ideas but would appreciate some feedback from you are more
> experienced in dealing with this type of beaurecratic @#$%$^&. :-)
> 
> Any ideas? Thanks.
> 
> Avery
> 
> ______________________________________
> 
> mailto:atodd@uh.edu - Work           "I haven't failed. I've
>                                       found 10,000 ways that
> mailto:avery@ev1.net - Home           won't work."
> 
> Avery Todd                           -Benjamin Franklin-
> Moores School of Music
> University of Houston
> Houston, TX 77204-4201
> 713-743-3226
>