<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>All:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Long story but I'll try to condense. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Called to tune a "donated" piano at a = local church a month ago. Piano is a Kimbell Consolette - serial number 469761. Piano = is very much under pitch and required about a 125 cent pitch raise and then a = fine tuning. Piano was being prepared for use in the sanctuary. Hammers are = worn and rather hard, but no string broke, and bridge, case & soundboard all = appear in good condition. Dampers are worn and compressed as well, but all damp = and function. Action required no repairs as all keys worked OK. Left feeling = pretty good about state the piano was in after I was done compared to its = condition upon arrival 3 hours earlier.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Called 2 days ago by the same church = secretary who indicates the need me to return to 1 - fix some dead keys & 2 - Give = an opinion if piano is junk or should have money spent to make it "better" = as a sanctuary piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I explain that all keys played when I = had left or else I would not have been able to tune it. I'm also not sure I want to = make a recommendation about a donated piano when the donors are members of this = church (not my church BTW). But make an appointment to see piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So today I went to see what might be = going on. I meet a deacon, the pastor and the secretary in a meeting and explain = that I was called to look at their piano and could they again explain what service = I was to perform. The deacon begins to give me an ear full, in a nice way, about = how this piano has no resonance, and spends the next 10 minutes lauding the sound = of a 10 year old electric keyboard they had apparently used for years in the = sanctuary. I ask about the dead keys - the pastor indicates that since it is his = wife that plays in a Sunday, he knows of no dead keys. I go look at piano - a few = of the strings have "settled" and I tweak these, and I also voiced some of the = hammers to soften their tone a bit. While in the process of doing this the = pastor's wife comes in and begins asking if I think this piano will ever work in a = sanctuary that could hold over 200 people. She explains that she heard the piano = at the former owners home in the basement which was completely empty, and she = thought it sounded much "fuller" even though it was out of tune. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As a student tech here's what I told them:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1 - The piano is too small for the = settling they are trying to use it in - OK for a Sunday School classroom but not in a = hall when the carpet, pews, people are all absorbing the littel sound it makes.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2 - Since the back of the piano was = within 2 inches of the stage, and the stage was nearly the same height as the piano, I = suggested they at least move the piano away from the stage 8 inches, or better yet = move it so the back faces the congregation.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3 - I explained that a piano with = short strings like this will never have the sustain and resonance = that one would get from a large upright or grand.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>4 - Because they mentioned they tried = to sit a mic behind it I explained that unless they purchased a bar mic which = attaches to the soundboard, they are not likely to do more then amplified a tiny = frequency range of the piano and will likely not serve their intention.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>5 - I suggest they move it to a = classroom so the donors are not offended when they have another piano or keyboard to take = its place</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>6 - I recommend they get a 2nd opinion = if they feel uncomfortable with my "Student" status and suggest another tech in the = area who has been doing this for over 50 years.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>7 - That I tweaked a few strings into = tune explaining that a pitch raise of the magnitude I did can sometimes = require this. And that I tried to soften the tone a bit by voicing the = hammers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I charged them my normal hourly rate = (it took about 1 hour) and left with everyone sounding satisfied when I left. What = else might I have done/said/tried? Do you agree with my recommendation and observations?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks oh wise ones!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jeff Schlaybach</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robesonia, = PA</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>