Church breaking wound strings

[Farrell]

As David pointed out, amplify and point monitor at pianist. BUT, a lot of these piano players use the bass section as their DRUM. They beat on it whether it is loud or not - they beat on it because they use it as a drum.

I have had very good luck with shortening the blow distance of the bass - tapering the change into the low tenor - and raising capstans to compensate. Of course, you would also decrease key dip appropriately. Start with shortening the blow by about a half inch or so. I've only done this on grand pianos, but you could do it on an upright by removing the hammer rest felt from the bass section, shimming the rail with wood and gluing the felt back (or new felt). Or maybe just glue a piece of hammer rest rail felt to a thin veneer and somehow attach that right over the original rail felt - making it easy to go back to original if ever desired. With a shortened blow distance, the player can bash those bass keys as hard as they want but the hammer strike will make less of an impact. When you adjust key dip, it is quicker to take a piece of something like nameboard felt (just something of appropriate thickness  - or several thicknesses), punch a bunch of holes in it for front keypins and lay it over the keypins of the affected notes - it makes it real easy to remove if you ever want to.

That make sense?

I love it. I did this a while back at a church. When done, I went down to the pastors office for my check and she had two blown speakers from the Leslies of their C3. I gotta make it to one of these services sometime - I'll bet they really get rockin'! Why am I thinking of the church scene in The Blues Brothers?   :-)

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David M. Porritt 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 7:12 PM
  Subject: RE: Church breaking wound strings


  Michelle:

   

  Get them to amplify the piano but there must be a monitor aimed at the pianist so he/she realizes that it's loud enough!  I'd also recommend getting a set of bass strings rescaled at a lower tension.

   

  dave

   

  ____________________

  David M. Porritt, RPT

  dporritt at smu.edu

   


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  From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Michelle Smith
  Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 5:34 PM
  To: 'Pianotech List'
  Subject: Church breaking wound strings

   

  Hi from hot and muggy Texas.  I have an African-American church that is breaking wound strings on an upright Boston on a regular basis.  (Replaced 5 a few months ago and now they've called with more.)  I'm sure they're aware that they need to back off but it's just not going to happen.  

   

  Is there any kind of amplification system for uprights that would give them some significant volume?

   

  I'd really like to see them purchase a digital keyboard (I know Jack Wyatt.  It's NOT a digital piano!) but the Boston was donated.

   

  Thanks!

   

  Michelle Smith

  Smith Piano Service

  Bastrop, Texas

  (512) 466-0238

  michelle at smithpianoservice.com

   

   

   
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