[CAUT] It's sooo nasty humid!

[Dennis Johnson]

One of our venues, the newly remodeled chapel has become popular for events
recently, but still has absolutely zero climate control.  The past few weeks
here have been similarly horrid. Fortunately most of this extreme humidity
happens when formal school is not in session, but there will be overlap.
It's not only the hammers, felt and leather absorbing moisture that changes
tone but also the the way sound travels through wet air.  I'm not a
scientist but this we can confirm through experience of the same piano in
one location through extreme climate changes.  The faculty have also now
agreed that we aren't even going to bother with expecting a great
performance piano in that space until the climate issue is solved.  Part of
the budget for a climate system will include a new concert grand.  Meantime,
for anything prominent we move the #2 piano over there temporarily and as
briefly as possible.

cheers,

Dennis Johnson
_____





On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 4:11 PM, Paul T Williams <
pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu> wrote:

> Thanks, Zeno.
>
> How have you found voicing to change in nasty climate changes...That's my
> biggest worries....so far.  You know, the cheek block screws were so snug,
> that the action would not return to rest on una-chorda pedal shifting?
>  Nasty!  I've never had this problem before, but since we had the Special
> Olympics here 4 weeks ago with doors open all day every day, I'm seeing
> problems I've never seen before with these 2 concert grands: a Baldwin D and
> a Steinway D.  All a mess and two weeks to fix them (besides all the other
> pianos to get ready for school). Squeeks, groans, sluggish etc all play a
> factor. Also, across the "breeze-way to the music building the 2 grands in
> those big orch and choir rooms are also nasty as well.
>
> Friday is supposed to relax on the heat and humidity and next week as well,
> so I guess it's a wait and see thing.  I need to start now, though!
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>  From: Zeno Wood <zeno.wood at gmail.com> To: caut at ptg.org Date: 08/11/2010
> 03:53 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] It's sooo nasty humid!
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
> Here in NY, it's been awfully humid and hot but they say it'll abate
> somewhat this weekend.  However, I know that we're still in for another
> month or more of hot and humid.  Just gotta jump in and tune those suckers.
>
> -Zeno Wood
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 4:10 PM, Paul T Williams <*
> pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu* <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>> wrote:
> Hey Caut's;
>
> I went over to one of our venues and lowered the pianos from A-444 to 440.
>  It's so humid, that everything is sticking. Soft pedal action wont return
> the action to rest (temp fix: loosen the cheek block screws)  Lots of
> squeeks and groans I've never heard from these instruments before. Since
> they get moved so much, I can't really get a DC on them.
>
> It's supposed to relax starting this Friday.  School starts a week from
> Monday and it starts up with a bang!
>
> Should I hold off til next week or trudge into it now?  First recital in 2
> weeks.
>
> How much does humidity affect voicing?  The Steinway D needs a little, the
> Baldwin D needs a lot.
>
> Thanks
> Paul
>
>
>
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