[pianotech] Kimball Player Piano

[Ken & Pat Gerler]

Rob,
To add to John's notes and reaffirm. Put a roll on it and play it before you 
touch anything else.

Next, IF it is an early Kimball Upright, the spool box was high almost 
completely above the action, So-o-o-o the complete assembly has to be 
removed before you can comfortably get to the tuning pins.

The Scott Joplin House here in St. Louis has one the early Kimball's and on 
two occasions I have had to go in and do repairs because someone that didn't 
know anything about players damaged the player and/or broke strings trying 
to tune without removing the player action. If I had some pictures of it, I 
would attach them.

The other size of Kimball player in the later era is the spinet player. 
Those (as well as the one described above) do have instructions on what to 
do to get to the tuning pins to tune.

As far as time on the Kimball's, you have to allow time to dismantle and 
reassemble in your tuning time estimate.

Like John said, a number of the players have enough space OR the action has 
a pivot so you can move part of it enough to get to the tuning pins in a 
matter of a couple of minutes.  But, if the piano action has problems, the 
player action WILL have to come out to access the piano action.

Have fun.

Ken Gerler



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Ross" <jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Kimball Player Piano


> In most cases you have to gain access, which may require removal, or 
> tilting
> some of the upper action.
> One very important thing to remember, is have them demonstrate, that it is
> operational before you touch it.
> Some people say, and believe that it worked before you touched it.
> If the tubing is brittle, unless you have some to replace it with, don't 
> try
> and remove it.
> Then again, you could just refer it to a player piano technician.
> If it is something you might want to get into, get Arthur Reblitz book on
> it. This will give you an idea of what is involved.
> John Ross
> Windsor, Nova Scotia
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Rob McCall" <rob at mccallpiano.com>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 4:50 PM
> Subject: [pianotech] Kimball Player Piano
>
>
> I just received a voice mail request to tune a Kimball player piano.
>
> He explained that not many people tune player pianos and he wanted to know
> if I could tune it.
>
> Having never tuned a player piano, is there a big difference in just 
> tuning
> it?
>
> Am I missing something?  Is this more difficult than my inexperience has
> allowed me to see?  :-)
>
> I just wanted to post something right away before I called him back.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rob McCall
> McCall Piano Service, LLC
> Murrieta, CA
>
> rob at mccallpiano.com
> www.mccallpiano.com
> 951-698-1875
>
>
>
>