[pianotech] Kawai Electric Breaking Strings

[Avery Todd]

And no one probably ever will, IMO. About the only way it might change is if
a well-trained pianist happened to join the church as their pianist!

Avery Todd

On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 9:29 AM, Porritt, David <dporritt at mail.smu.edu>wrote:

> Ken:
>
> In years past I have done some of these places.  One church took a brand
> new Mason & Hamlin BB and literally destroyed it in 5 years.  When I tried
> to explain reality to them, they just said "you don't understand our worship
> style."  I never had any success changing them.
>
> dp
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> dporritt at smu.edu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
> Behalf Of Ken & Pat Gerler
> Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 8:00 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Kawai Electric Breaking Strings
>
> Mike,
> In St. Louis I have a lot of "Pentecostal" type churches with "musicians"
> who are self-taught and all they know is "banging" on the pianos.
> Consequently I have a lot of broken strings. The same pianos in
> "liturgical"
> churches never have any problems.
>
> A number of techs in St. Louis have opted to increase lost motion so their
> "banging" is not as likely to break strings. I feel that is a dis-service
> for a "competent" musician who might come to play the instrument. I have
> been trying to educate them to get training and also add amplification to
> the pianos with monitors in the ears of the "bangers" so when they blow
> their ears off, they stop banging.
>
> Ken Gerler
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Spalding" <mike.spalding1 at verizon.net>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Kawai Electric Breaking Strings
>
>
> > Paul, and everyone,
> >
> > 1.  Thanks to everyone who has replied.  I appreciate your knowledge and
> > willingness to help.  In particular, 3 different individuals from Kawai
> > USA technical service have advised that I can buy original scale
> > replacements from Mapes.
> >
> > 2.  The hammers are what they are.  When was the last time you sold the
> > buyer of a $500 used electric piano a shaping, regulation, and voicing
> > job?
> >
> > 3.  "Major defect"?  No such assumption has been made.  My question, for
> > those experienced in designing bass scales, is whether, based on this
> > piano's history plus any additional experience you might have with this
> > model, you would advise designing the missing strings at a % break
> > strength of 60% like the neighboring strings, or perhaps going a little
> > lower.
> >
> > thanks
> >
> > Mike Spalding
> >
> > pgmilkie at juno.com wrote:
> >> Before you go off assuming a major defect you might investigate the
> >> playing that the piano is getting.  If this is like my many abused
> church
> >> pianos weekly string breakage is often "normal" and due to heavy
> >> pounding, not necessarily from an incorrect scale.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Are the hammers in need of attention. 'heavily grooved, to hard'?
> >>
> >> Paul Milkie
> >>
> >> ____________________________________________________________
> >> Criminal Lawyers - Click here.
> >>
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> >>
> >>
>
>
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