Pianodisc?????

[Mark Story]

> I would like some clarification on  this    I have been asked to remove
two
> reproducer attachments to pianos, and I really don't like what I see.  I
> wonder if they were Pianodisc systems, so perhaps someone can tell me.

You should be able to identify the unit by looking at the ID plate on the
control unit or power supply.

>       Is this the system that cuts 3/4" off the back rail  and requires
that
> a large cavity be cut in the keybed under the back of the keys?  Does
anybody
> know how impossible it is to get a stable bedding on the keyframe when
this
> is done?

This issue has been addressed by PianoDisc, though not until last year.

>        Is this the system that requires a hole drilled in the bottom of
the
> monkey to operate the sostenueto? and has a large, aluminum, U-shaped
> bracket?

Though not what I would call "U-shaped" this sounds more like QRS than
PianoDisc. If there were felt pads under the tails of the keys where the
solonoids contact, it's most certainly QRS.

>      The trapwork on these two are the cheapest, most poorly designed
junk I
> have seen on a piano.  Both customers complained of poor pedal
adjustment,
> and lack of pianissimo playing.  Both were quite happy with the total
> replacement of the factory trapwork, and removal of the mechanism.

This is largely in the hands of the installer.  Though both PianoDisc and
QRS have standardized trapwork modification as much as possible, the
quality of the  design exicution is ultimately determined by the installer.
 I think this is in part the reason why PianoDisc requires the installer to
cover the (1 year) labor warranty.  I haven't had complaints about my
trapwork configurations from either owners or technicians.  How about you
Larry?

Other than that, it's a matter of  bias, isn't it?  Modern retrofits
maintain the original configuration of the piano _much_ better than the old
pneumatic players.

Mark Story, RPT
Eastern Washington University
mstory@ewu.edu