Concert Master installations

[btrout@desupernet.net]

Hi Larry,

I got to go to the "Installation Training Seminar" or whatever they call it, in
Arkansas last year. I've been disappointed that the dealer I work for hasn't let
me install any.  He just sent me so that he could have another 'feather' in his
cap, and somebody to do the $#%^ work when somebody had trouble with one.

In Ark., we had the piano on it's side to cut the slot. (Much easier to handle a
circular saw in that position.)

How long did it take?  Well, it took our class about 4 days to test the stuff,
prep the piano, install the stuff, and fine tune the system.  The techs in the
factory claimed they could do a complete install in about 4 hours.

Here's an opinion, and it's just my opinion.  I wish the people who install
these things would follow the specs in the installation manual.  I've received
several of these in my shop, some installed at Baldwin, some done by others, and
in most cases, they could have worked a lot better.  Most of the problems were
very poor action regulation, or misadjusting the solenoids so that they wouldn't
allow for proper action function. (Blubbering hammers...etc.)  Also, the pedal
trapwork is easily bent in transportation, and the sustain lever that gets put
on usually has to have some attention after it gets moved.  (Sometimes that
little switch on the damper tray gets bent too...another reason to pull the
action that you usually don't discover until everything else is done...)

The sostenuto lever assembly that gets put onto the trapwork is kind of cheap,
and doesn't really work that well.  If I had my choice, I'd say that should be
eliminated or made to work well.  (And good luck if it happens to squeak!)

Do you play the piano?  Have you knocked your knee real good on the corner of
the Concertmaster yet?  I'd also like to see them mount that thing on the other
end of the piano.  And when you mount it all the way over to the edge of the
piano, you have to take the thing out of the piano every time you need to pull
the action.  (Just when you think you won't need to... been there, done that,
got the tee shirt...)  Actually, Baldwin didn't exactly refuse to let me mount
the control boxes on the treble end, but they strongly discouraged it.

Prices?  Well, that's up to whoever wants the job.  I've heard anywhere from
about $700 to about $1100 for a complete installation.

I guess I sound a little negative.  I do like the system.  They tell me they're
coming out with a 900 MHz remote system that should work a lot better than the
old 315 MHz or 318 MHz setups.  That's good.  And when you spend the time to
really tweak things out to the max, including the piano regulation, it's really
a neat toy.

Hope you had fun with it.

Best wishes,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, Pa.

Larry Fisher wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to hear from those of you that have installed the ConcertMaster
> Performer.  How much do you charge the dealer for the installation (if
> you're comfortable telling me that) ?  How long does it normally take to put
> one of these monsters in??
>
> I just did my first one on a Baldwin SD.  NICE!!
>
> It's not that it's all that different from a QRS or PDS but there's a lot of
> extra mounting of stuff and it all has to be cabled together and so
> placement is critical ........  not to mention that BPO wants all their CM's
> to look that same ......  all components mounted roughly in the same place
> from one piano to the next.
>
> I missed the slot location by about an 1/8" ........  sigh ............
> Don't ya just love shaving the slot with all that sawdust falling in your
> face??  I guess I'll be wearing my goggles.  Other than that, it came out
> pretty darn nice!!  Sounds good when I hook it up to my stereo too!
>
> Lar
>
>                                     Larry Fisher RPT
>    specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff
>       phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com
>          http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96)
>            Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water