[pianotech] Falling piano lid (was fallen piano)

[David Stanwood]

Hi Wally,

Anyone who attended North Bennet St. School under Bill Garlick as I 
did well remembers the story he told every class about the piano 
tuner in an expensive apartment on 5th Avenue who lifted a Steinway B 
lid prior to tuning in a wealthy clients home.  It slipped off the 
hinges and smashed through a plate glass window and fell to the 
street.  He taught us to lift the lid and move it side to side to 
check that hinge pins are in place.  That story made a permanent 
impression on me.

David Stanwood

>Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:36:55 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Wally Scherer <afinetune at yahoo.com>


>I've had several instances where grand lids were not attached and no one
>bothered to tell me. Now I wiggle it a bit from side to side as I lift it a
>couple of inches, before lifting it up all the way. I keep some hinge pins in
>my tool bag. Sometimes they have to be bent a bit for a tighter fit. In the
>absence of a proper hinge pin, the customer may have a nail that will work.

>However, as I think about it, a visual check beforehand would be 
>better, right?

>Wally