Sealed pianos

[Jim]

Dear Wally:

Yes, there are other pianos which at first may seem difficult to open.
These schemes were developed to discourage vandalism in school situations.
The Walter piano studio version has a similar type system.  You must re-
move 2 phillips screws in the back, then slide the lid back and then off.
The trickiest lid is the older Story & Clark console lid which has 2
hidden screws whose heads hold down the lid by riding in a slot of a
metal plate screwed to the bottom of the lid above the pinblock.  Just
slide the lid back about 3/4 inch, and it comes loose.  Then there was
the Wurlitzer spinet which had rounded sides which could swing outward
after the upper portion of the case was lifted about 1/4 inch.  The clue
to this type is when you notice the back edge of the sides are hinged to
the back assembly.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Fri, 7 Mar 1997, wtscherer wrote:

> Hi everybody,
>
> I was just called on to tune an Everett studio yesterday. When I started to
> open the piano, it wouldn't. After a couple of minutes of tugging, prying,
> and shining my flashlight, I finally noticed that the top was fastened on
> by two brackets with hex-hole screws. (The back was covered with a cloth.)
> Unfortunately I didn't bring my Allen wrenches. Fortunately the owner found
> some. Once the screws were removed, the top could be slid back and removed,
> then the front panel/music rack unscrewed and removed.
>
> My questions are these: Is this common to all Everett studio pianos? Are
> there other piano brands that have uncommon fastenings and therefore
> require uncommon tools for opening?
>
> Wally Scherer
> Norfolk, VA
>