[CAUT] Fallboard locks

[Jeff Tanner]

On Aug 22, 2007, at 8:34 PM, David Ilvedson wrote:

> Jeff,
> I've got to say the "bra" idea seems like way overkill.

They only used it on pianos they really wanted limited use on.  They  
couldn't lock doors for those places.

>    Talk about damaging pianos...doesn't that contraption cause  
> dents galore?

It goes over the thick padded cover.  No.  It actually helps protect  
against dents.

>   I think a picture is in order here...;-].

Wish I could.  I''ve emailed someone over there to see if he will  
take a pic for me.

> We have no problems with our "Hands Off" keyboard locks here at  
> Stanford...

Granted, ours are the old C-clamp looking fallboard locks.

> Can you give an example of  "Fallboard locks cause torn up pianos."?

When they rip them off because they don't happen to have the key.  A  
few years back, I removed the action from a Steinway M, the only  
piano we kept locked at the time, to give it a good going over at the  
shop.  It is the only grand we had in another building we used to  
use, and I needed to bring it into reasonable condition for another  
use.  But I locked it back, and because I didn't want anyone opening  
it and messing around in there while the action was out, I brought  
the key  (which was usually kept in an office over there) back to the  
shop.  I've always believed it was a faculty member who was guilty of  
doing whatever it took to get that lock off, to use the piano for a  
rehearsal (a pretty decent studio piano was also available).  They  
just pried the lock off, along with whatever chunks of wood from  
beneath the keybed and whatever scratches on the fallboard happened  
to go along with it.  I would have liked to have been a fly on the  
wall to see the looks on their faces after all that hard work to find  
there were no keys in the piano.

We have the same problem with any other lock on a piano.  Some  
vertical pianos have lockable top lids.  The kids just pry them open  
and tear up whatever in the process.  For what reason other than just  
to see what's in there, I don't know.


Jeff Tanner, RPT
University of South Carolina



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