[pianotech] Tack Piano

[reggaepass at aol.com]

Hi Noah,



Hopefully, it will be a case of "once a tack piano, always a tack piano."  Unless your tonal tastes run strongly towards the "confidential", you might be unpleasantly surprised at the sound produced by theses hammers when the tacks are removed.




Alan Eder


-----Original Message-----
From: Noah Haverkamp <noahhaverkamp at yahoo.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 8:13 pm
Subject: [pianotech] Tack Piano








There are 2 Tack pianos that we have available for renting. They do indeed sound 
unique. I can't imagine how any amount of hardener would duplicate that sound. 
Yes, there is a regular metal thumtack stuck into the strike point. Does it hurt 
my feelings? No. If the tie comes to remove the tacks, then i'll remove them and 
deal with the hammers. I'm quite curious as to the effect, but i'm guessing it's 
not so dramatic that it can't be fixed. Of course these are Yamha P22S or 
something, not Grotrians. 
However, about the mute rails, I think they work great! 

Noah Haverkamp Frere
Know-a Piano? 
http://www.knowapiano.com 
347-308-0094 


> List
> 
> On Wednesday I am going to be asked about converting an
> upright piano into a "Tack Piano".   
> 
> I know that Schaff has a rail that can be installed to
> simulate the "Tack Piano" sound, but I'm not
> convinced it will work very well.  After all, it's from
> Schaff!
> 
> Oooh, I can't believe I wrote that!
> 
> No, what I meant was, after all, mute rails do
n't work
> very well either, even on Yamahas, so why would a
> self-installed tack piano rail work?  On the other hand, it
> would be non-invasive and non-permanent.
> 
> But, I'm wondering about other options.  Certainly
> actual tacks could be inserted into the hammer at the strike
> point---I assume that's what was done originally.  Why
> else would it be called a "tack piano"?  That
> would work wouldn't it?   
> 
> I also wonder if the hammers could be doped to be hard
> enough to simulate the tack piano sound.   The negative here
> would be the relative permanence of the modification. 
> 
> I'm open to other suggestions or flames in my general
> direction.  However, before anyone throws dirt at the client
> who wants this done, I should mention that he's a rather
> high profile successful rock musician with Gold Records and
> all that comes with it.   This is my first appointment with
> him, so I'm interested in accommodating him in whatever
> way I can.
> 
> Including buying 88 tacks and shoving them into the
> hammers, one by one, if that's what it takes.  
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Tom Sivak
> Chicago





 




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