Hellpinstill (appropriately named)

[David Nereson]

Actually it’s just the pick-ups that are made by Helpinstill.
The piano is a MelodiPro by Aeolian.  It’s essentially a 64-note
spinet, with single bass strings and 2-string unisons in the
treble, in a road case, with pickups.
I don’t think they’re older than the mid-to-late 70’s.  That’s
when I saw rock bands using them, and worked on quite a few in
the 80’s.
The main problems with them are:
a) They were made by Aeolian, and were essentially POS’s.  [that
’s “pieces of s....”, as opposed to PSO’s, which are
“piano-shaped objects.”]
b) They’re real string-breakers, partly because they were used
by rockers who had a heavy (pounding) “touch,” but I think also
because they must’ve had a high-tension scale and hard hammers.
c) They also have extremely high inharmonicity, making the bass
almost impossible to tune (like on Yamaha CP-70’s).  I remember
lead guitarists saying I didn’t tune it right because the high
notes didn’t match their guitars or their (to them) infallible
quartz guitar tuners.
d) The pickups seem to always come loose and buzz against the
strings.  I forget what I used to do about that – whatever I
could, I suppose.  I forget how they were mounted in there, but
I remember it being a crappy system.
e) They would react wildly with the changing seasons, going way
sharp in the summer and way flat in the winter, due to the small
soundboard, I guess.
 f) The key bushings wore out in no time, as I remember.
            g)  If I remember right, the action brackets didn’t
have feet, so the action wouldn’t stand up by itself – you had
to lean it against something or use a cradle, which was a major
hassle on a crowded bandstand or rehearsal space with cables and
other equipment everywhere, and bad lighting.  (Not to mention
having to unhook and later re-hook-up all the lifter wires.
I don’t think they’re worth putting much, if any money into.
Better to look for a CP-70 or 80, if it’s an acoustic-sounding
road piano that he wants.  If it’s for home use, better to buy a
“real” spinet or even an electronic keyboard with weighted keys
(simulated piano touch, as opposed to the organ-type touch).
            --David Nereson, RPT




-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of
pianowerks.inc at comcast.net
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 12:14 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Hellpinstill (appropriately named)

Hi all,

Had the opportunity to (try) and service and (try) to tune a
Hellpinstill yesterday.  Weird little portable spinet in a
professional road-case from the sixties(?).

Anyone else ever worked on one of these?  The owner is
interested in putting some money into it but I'd like to hear if
I should just run away.

Thanks in advance,

Brad Haskins
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