Jay, somehow 6'1 and concert stage reads like an oxymoron, but I'll play it the way you wrote it. The way to protect the piano is to not let anyone touch it, play it, or move it. For maintenance: 1. Figure out a way the sound can fill more than just the stage, it needs to reach the folks in the back row too -- preferably self-contained; 2. Determine which stage hand's dresser or bedside table the hinge pins will be on, so they can be retrieved when replacing the topboard; 3. Order a stage dolly now (or later if you want the extra income from repairing legs); 4. Consider how you're going to address the power, voicing, and action demands of different performers playing different styles of music; 5. Figure out how to assure the climate control stays plugged in during off-stage periods, and who will attend to this during your absence (after performances); 6. Plan on more than four tunings the first, *or* any other year; 7. Spend some "quality" time going over everything (non-existent dealer prep... plus more) before it's commissioned for use. If you don't play, get a volunteer who does, and have s/he do the nit-picking, you translate their words into technoid speak, and address *any* complaints, regardless of how trite they may seem; 8. Plan on devoting additional non-tuning time during *every* call (bedding, action, dampers *and* damper stop rail, pedal/lyre assembly, hammer shaping/voicing as well as the myriad of things I'm forgetting; 9. Order "token" product-specific replacement parts in advance of need (like now) from the manufacturer - action guide plates (in the cheekblocks) wippens, jacks, shanks/flanges, pedal pins, and whatever else you don't currently think will be needed. They will be required, but only when there's 18 minutes before a performance. 10. Carry (not in the shop) common generic materials that you don't think will be required: Protek (generous supply of liquid, lesser of grease) rubber buttons, center pins, piano wire, damper felt, scraps of various hard and soft felts, leather, etc., three short lengths of bronze welding rod (to fabricate temporary hinge pins for those on the nightstand), and three small lengths of sash cord (each tied in a knot and placed inconspicuously on the floor and surrounding each caster to prevent the piano from rolling off-stage when the artist is trying to reach those folks in the back row). Bonus: Allow no sound or stage personnel to stand in a direct line with the tail of the piano during tuning/performance. Those 6'1" double-wounds can gain quite a bit of velocity when they let go. You wrote: > >I will be tuning a recently purchased new "middle of the road" grand piano >that will be used on a concert stage. The piano is a Weber with a 6'1" >length. I've already convinced the stage manager to purchase a Dampp-Chaser >system and a piano cover. The stage will be fairly cool year round except >when the lights are on for concerts. > >What are some other things I can do to help, protect and maintain this brand >spanking new piano? (Besides tune it four times in the upcoming year?) I'm >all ears. > >Jay Jim Harvey, RPT harvey@greenwood.net ________________________ -- someone who's been in the field too long.
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