<div> Hi Kent.  Cabinet cleanup is more my policy than the administrations' I've cleaned up paint scrapes on the concert instruments as part of concert prep.  I blow the dust out of the grands as well.  I try to fix cabinet parts as soon as I see breakage.   Someone found out the lid locks on the Boston 118 don't hold very well and they have been forcing the lids open.  All I could do is notify administration.  I haven't had issues with removing lids, just sorority girls dancing on them!   In piano bars, I've been known to replace the lid pins with an appropriately sized phillips head screws, screwed in tightly.  I guarantee that will keep the lid on!!!  Bob. </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> -----Original Message----- From: Loren Buntemeyer <lbuntemeyer@ku.edu> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 8:36 pm Subject: Re: [CAUT] Care and feeding of stage grands <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_4e61af45-6dfc-4d9b-9b32-71729babfb1a" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>Kent, The condition and rules for the pianos are completely dependent on the support provided from the administration. It's a constant battle keeping the administration in your camp when you have non-caring, airhead musicians wanting it their way. That is, they want pianos always unlocked and not covered, take the lid off any piano and not replace it, etc. On the other hand, if I was a faculty musician, I would want the pianos available at anytime so my student could practice on our best piano all hours of the day. And, if the piano needs worn parts replaced, frequent regulation, or the food snacks removed, we have a piano technician on staff, with a $1500 parts budget, that is paid to care for our 150 pianos. We don't want to deny our students the use of our performance pianos as they have paid to attend our facilities and institution. It takes time to get the key for the piano, unlock, uncover and then repeat the process. Our students are here to learn and study, not care for pianos. They'll just go to another school if the pianos are not easily available. (Does that story sound familiar?) Now that my boots are getting dirty, I think I'll go back to my room and check my email. Your Happy! retired technician P.S. If you like, I could give you a few suggestions how we controlled the piano use, keys, guidelines etc. These guidelines were before I retired and a new administrator was sent down from the state north of us, better known as Richard West country. . . Loren ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kent Swafford" <<a href="mailto:kswafford@gmail.com">kswafford@gmail.com</a>> To: "College and University Technicians" <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:00 PM Subject: [CAUT] Care and feeding of stage grands I have a couple questions about maintaining concert pianos on stages at universities. 1) Do you have a policy about the touch-up of finish damage? I would think a good-looking piano would generate more respect and care than a beat-up one. (Although I didn't think that the time a couple years ago when we had a D refinished and the first week-end it was back in service, it received more damage than it had before being refinished. I still haven't recovered from that one.) Does anyone touch-up as needed? Or perhaps annually? Never? 2) Do you have a policy on removing lids? It seems like every recording project, every duo-piano performance, every large ensemble performance requires the lid to be removed. There is also a history of damage being done while removing and replacing grand piano lids. Sure would like to know what various schools do. Thanks. Kent Swafford </tt></pre> </div>  <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> More new features than ever. Check out the new <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>! </div>