[pianotech] Prepared frickin'piano and damaged bass strings

[Kent Swafford]

I am interested in the details. What was the implement doing the scraping? I ask because I don't understand how such scraping would necessarily be the cause of later bass string rattling. Would have to have been extreme, no?

There is much inside-the-piano activity at my university. All the piano professors teach extended techniques and half of them perform extended techniques themselves. I tell everyone to leave nothing in the piano, not even evidence of their presence and rarely have problems. (A guest pianist was a big exception, but that was a different story.)


Kent Swafford


On Feb 19, 2013, at 6:12 PM, David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net> wrote:

> Yes, it was communicated.  A contract was signed in which a no prepared or hands on strings clause is included.  This was a group and several pianists were included so the director of the organization signed off on it.  I’m letting the venue handle collection aspects.  Fortunately, this was a relatively new set of strings and so the specs are readily available so replacement will be easy.  Still there is cost and time involved in replacement and settling of the new strings.
>  
> It’s all getting handled but just thought I’d throw it out there as a precautionary note.  I’m always concerned when I hear “prepared piano” and the several concert venues I deal with have instructions that I am to be informed if there is something like that on the program so that I can have some say on whether and how it’s done. 
>  
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>  
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Gene Nelson
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 9:45 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Prepared frickin'piano and damaged bass strings
>  
> Curious if there is any way to trace back to find out if the policy was or was not communicated to the pianist?
> Possibly the pianist has liability insurance.
> I would really like to avoid a similar situation at the venue I work.
> I have dealt with string pluckers at the university where I worked years ago but it has not come up here yet.
> Your experience is the ultimate.
> Gene
>  
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Euphonious Thumpe
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 9:26 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Prepared frickin'piano and damaged bass strings
>  
> David, I agree with you 100%! And when you hear the dread words "World Premier" preceding a symphony orchestra broadcast on NPR these days, have your hand ready to turn it off, or suffer! (Many "Serious Music" composers now have the same cacophonous malevolence toward humanity as "punk rockers", apparently.
> Perhaps "getting back" at everyone, because, despite high grades, they couldn't get a date in High School.)
> 
> Thumpe
> 
>  
> From: David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>; 
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>; 
> Subject: [pianotech] Prepared frickin'piano and damaged bass strings 
> Sent: Tue, Feb 19, 2013 5:13:25 PM
> 
> Just came back to a piano that I service regularly after a prepared piano
> piece in which six bass strings (3 pairs of bichords) were damaged
> apparently by the pianist being called upon to scrape something up and down
> the length of the several pairs of strings.  Of course, the windings are now
> rattling.  
> 
> The directors of this venue have issued previously a "no prepared piano" and
> "no reaching in" rule in order to avoid just this type of thing however it
> apparently fell on deaf (appropriate considering the nature of the music--ok
> cheap shot) ears.  
> 
> Just an FYI and a bit of vent.
> 
> ^%&*#$%&($)%*($)^&(#$)
> 
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
> 
> 
>  

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