[pianotech] Player Uprights

[pianolady50 at peoplepc.com]

Hi Matthew,

Ahh, no, not right.  There are many different configurations and I assume you're not talking about  Aeolians and others from the mid to late 20th century with 'shelves' above the keyboard and player stacks below the keyboard.  In uprights, none (okay maybe 99.99999% do not) require disconnecting any tubing for individual notes or any junction board for that tubing to access the piano action.  Basically, you'll need to disconnect either one major exhaust hose at the bass end or two (bass and treble).  There may or may not be moderately sized tubing for tracking system requiring disconnecting, possibly hoses to hammer rail lift pneumatics, and the large hose for the wind motor.  Then there may be a support rod for the spool box and various linkages for play/reroll, tempo, etc.  There will be a mechanical connections between the entire upper unit and the piano case.

The best advise I can give you is to find an experienced piano/player piano tech to take with you.  Please, please, please!  How will you handle the situation if you try to take the unit out and replace it and then nothing works?  Did the player work before you took it out?  Did the customer demonstrate this?  Has it been rebuilt recently or are tubes and hoses going to break when you disconnect them and move things around?

This is a can of worms if you are not well equipped or well versed in players.  Again, please take someone with you who knows players.

Debbie L.




----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Matthew Todd 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 7:29 PM
  Subject: [pianotech] Player Uprights


        Speaking of players, I will need to remove the player action on this piano to properly service the broken hammer shanks.  The hoses that connect to each key have a long strip of wood that I can unscrew so I wouldn't have to disconnect each hose.  And with the disconnection of two hoses on the bass side, and a few more screws, I should be able to remove the player.  Does that sound right?


        TODD PIANO WORKS 
        Matthew Todd, Piano Technician 
        (979) 248-9578
        http://www.toddpianoworks.com 
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