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Restringing Pianos

Restringing is definitely one of the more challenging repairs one can perform on a piano. What I would like to accomplish in this article is to paint a vivid picture of what is involved in this process, and hopefully allow any piano owners out there make a qualified decision about whether or not to have their own instruments restrung.

A little over a year ago, I purchased an amazing instrument. It was made by J&C Fischer and Sons in ’86. Were you thiking 1986? No, I meant 1886. The exterior of this instrument was in fabulous mint condition. In fact I have never come across an instrument this old in such good health. It was still fully playable. All moving parts were functioning. 99% of everything inside was original. Even though my Pierce Piano Atlas told me the age was around this time (based on the serial number) I still was dubious. It was just too good to be true. However, once when I was taking the entire keybed out so the keys could be refinished, I found several flyers inside for a piano concert dated 1886. Truly remarkable.

J&C Fischer Piano from 1886

Over the course of the next twelve months, I began renovating the instrument. The most major repair by far that I performed was restringing.

Before any restringing could happen, I had to tilt the piano on its back using a special dolly, remove the entire front, not just the panels, and get the old strings off. Because the combined tension of all the strings is over 30,000 lbs, they have to be loosened gradually in several stages. When the strings were loose enough, I cut them off and removed the pins using a drill. All this alone took about a day.

 

Piano lying flat using “tilter”

Next is where the real magic happens. This is when the new strings are applied. It is typical that when you restring a piano, you put in tuning pins that are larger than the old ones. The reason is that as pianos get older, the pins tend to get loose, meaning the instrument won’t stay in tune. In the case of my piano, the tuning pins were even looser than normal, so I had to put in pins that were a full two sizes larger. That’s to be expected on a piano which is more than 100 years old.

Piano midway through restringing process

The act of putting on a piano string has got to be one of the most physically challenging tasks I have ever attempted. Piano strings are not like guitar strings. That is, they don’t bend easily. They are made of solid steel and are many times thicker in diameter. If you are not totally focused, you will either bend the wire the wrong way and put a permanent crease in it that requires you to discard it. Or, the wire will jump out of your hands and literally fly across the room. This is no laughing matter. When I began the process, I ignored various warnings to where safety goggles. After nearly taking out my eyeballs a few times, I was happy to where them. Piano wire has a mind of its own. Learning to control it takes an incredible degree of sensitivity, focus, assertiveness, and finesse. It typically feels like you are wrestling a large snake and that snake is doing everything it can to overtake you.

 

Piano with all strings replaced

After repeating this process more than a hundred times over the course of ten days straight, I was finally ready to put the instrument back together. I reinstalled the front of the piano and the legs, and tilted it upright again. It was not time to declare victory yet however. The instrument still had to be tuned.

Tuning a freshly strung instrument is not like tuning a piano for a client. In the same way that detuning all the strings at once can cause problems when removing the strings, the opposite is true as well. Bringing all the strings up to pitch right away can damage the piano so it must be done in multiple passes. What’s more is that as you increase the tension on a few strings, the piano literally shrinks slightly because it is being pulled. What effect does that have? The strings next to it drop in pitch. That means if you went all the way across the piano bringing each string up to pitch and then checked the first string you started on, it would be much flatter than when you started. In the first day, I tuned the piano five times before the strings and the piano had settled in. Over the course of the next few months I probably tuned it another three times before I felt it was fully stable.

With all that work, it is no wonder that restringing a piano generally costs $2000 or more. Technicians who are reasonably experienced can do it in about twenty hours. It is rumored there is a tech in L.A. who can do the entire process in just half a day. In terms of materials, the cost of the plain steel strings and the pegs is probably around $150. However the copper wound bass strings have to be custom made for each piano and this costs several hundred dollars.

If you are considering having your piano restrung, here are the factors you should consider: First, pianos only need to be restrung after decades of use. Unless your piano is quite old, don’t even think about it. The exception would be if the strings are rusty, or if your technician complains the tuning pegs are too loose for it to stay in tune. Most pianos are never restrung. Restringing will cause a slight improvement in tone, but less so than having the hammers reshaped would. In the case of my piano, the improvement in sound quality was nominal. One thing it will not do is turn a mediocre piano into a Steinway.

Second, what is the value of your instrument? If the cost of restringing is more than half the total value of the instrument, don’t do it. Figure a good quality used upright in excellent condition is around $4000. An entry level NEW upright piano is also around $4000. A fair quality used upright is only around $1000 to $2000, don’t go spending $2000 on repairs.

Third, what is the make of the instrument? If you’ve got a 100 year old Steinway, it is OK to put money into it. The reason is that Steinways last forever and also tend to hold their value. Taking measures to maintain the instrument will also help the value. If the piano is a no name brand, sell it and get a newer one before you consider restringing.

When all the factors are considered, its clear that restringing is a repair for special instruments only. It is also clear that when a tech quotes you a price tag of several thousand, he is surely justified in doing so. If you are a technician, I would strongly advise attempting this process yourself. It is a fascinating learning experience.

There is one factor alone that is responsible for most of the wear and tear on a piano. That factor is humidity. The purpose of this article is to explain in detail how humidity affects a piano, and then to discuss how this problem can be solved with the installation of a humidity control device.

I learned to tune pianos in Hawaii where I saw first hand the way that humidity could take a brand new piano and bring it to it’s knees. In numerous cases, this transformation took only two to five years. Although the humidity in your local area may not be 80% year round like it is over there, it is still causing the same effect, just at a slower rate.

The first effect of humidity is rust. Piano strings are made of steel, although not stainless steel as one would find in the kitchen. That means that they are susceptible to corrosion. The lifespan of a string is directly related to how quickly it rusts. Once a string rusts, it becomes brittle and will easily break when you try to tune it. One break is tolerable. After three or four start breaking, it means the whole set is going bad. Rust also affects the tone. Once the strings get even a thin veneer of rust it loses the bright pure tone it had when it was new.

When a piano is stored in a low humidity environment, the strings will last seventy five years before they start breaking. They may even last one hundred years. When exposed to high humidity, strings will last less than half that time. In very high humidity such as Hawaii, strings will become caked with a very thick visible layer of orange rust within two to five years. Anyone living near the ocean is also at risk. Consider that well before the strings start breaking, they will lose their tone, and the instrument becomes less enjoyable to play. Therefore, at all costs, one should try to control the humidity inside their instrument so they can enjoy it for years to come.

The other effect of humidity is that seasonal changes in humidity will cause the piano to go out of tune. This effect is not related to rust per se. Instead is has to do with the humidity alternating between wet and dry cycles. In high humidity the piano expands and stretches causing the piano to go sharp. In low humidity, the piano shrinks and goes flat.

Humidity also has a tremendous affect on the mechanical parts inside a piano. Most moving parts inside a piano use a hinge called a flange. A flange uses no grease or ball bearings. Instead there is a piece of wood with a tiny hole in it. That hole is lined with felt and a pin is inserted into it. The pin is able to turn by rubbing against the felt. When the humidity is high the wood expands and the hole gets tighter causing the pin to stop turning. Each time you press a key, at least three such flanges are engaged. Whenever a key is “sticking”, most of the time it is because one of those flanges is swollen from humidity exposure. This is especially true for intermittent problems. If your piano behaves on way in one type of weather, and another way in another type of weather, the culprit is obvious. I once repaired a Samick piano in Hawaii in which every single damper inside the piano had frozen solid due to humidity exposure. The net effect was that when you played it every note rang indefinitely, even once you let go of the key. It took about six hours to repin every single flange and get it working again.

 

The good news is that there is a solution to this problem. Dampp Chaser Corporation has created a device called the Piano Life Saver System which keeps the humidity inside the instrument at the appropriate level day in and day out. I own one in my piano, and strongly recommend all my clients get one as well, especially those near the ocean. My piano stays in tune, and I have no mechanical problems when the weather changes. Here is an example of how the system works.

The device has one or more long black heater rods, and a black box called a humidistat which detects if the humidity is too high, then activates the rods. Because it turns them on intermittently, it uses less electricity, and also avoids making the piano too dry which is equally problematic. The entire system takes 1-2 hours to install by a qualified technician, such as myself. The cost is little more than getting your piano tuned, and will save you thousands over the lifetime of the instrument.

Here is a photo of the upright system:

Here is what the system looks like in a Grand Piano:

 

I strongly advocate the use of the Dampp Chaser Humidty control system. It will allow you to maintain optimal conditions inside your instrument, get a lot more pleasure out of using it, and spend a lot less money fixing it.

To have one of these systems installed, please visit http://lapianotuning.com to set up an appointment.

What Else is Inside Your Piano?

A couple years ago I wrote a popular blog article entitled “Discovering What’s Inside Your Piano” which highlighted some of the curious objects I have found in my line of work. I make a regular habit of taking photos of the unusual treasures I often come across. Since writing the last article, I have found numerous objects that are far more odd, and frankly, much LARGER than anything I have found before.

We would expect normal items to slip inside the piano like pencils, paperclips, etc. Church pianos are especially laden with such debris. But for more unusual items, it becomes a lot more difficult to imagine how they could get in there. I can explain 99% of these special cases with one answer: Children. To a small child, a piano looks like a slot machine. It has slots and holes of various sizes and when a child sees an object of about the right size and shape, naturally he or she’s tests it to see if it will fit inside. Next thing you know, the object vanishes never to return. Or at least not until ten or twenty years later when the piano gets serviced by a technician such as myself.

Here is my “Greates Hits” of items I have found.

Largest Item: A full sized T.V. remote.

This item was impressive because it was too large to get inside the piano by any normal means. It was also impressive because there was no evidence of any mischief on the part of children. I and the piano owner speculated for some time as to how it got there. The conclusion I finally came to is that the owner set the remote on top of the fallboard, the lid that covers the keys. Someone opened the lid to sit down and play, and the remote slid backwards and into the piano. Another explanation is that the fallboard was open already and pointed straight up. Someone pulled it forward slightly and dropped the remote inside, possibly by accident.

T.V. Remote

Largest Quantity of Items: 16

The owners called me because some of the keys weren’t playing properly. I expected the usual ailments: tight flanges, tight key bushings, etc. I was both surprised and relieved when I opened it up and saw an entire convenience store worth of trinkets. There were so many that I had to take several photographs just to cover them all. Among the spoils were the following:

Three Photographs

Some Leaves

3 Lollipops (melted)

A Pen

3 Pencils

Toy Sunglasses

Pool Diving Ring

Hole Puncher

Knitting Needle

Mystery Item that looks like a dish sponge.

 

Best Story: The Dead Rat.

The story surrounding this find is just as interesting as the rat itself. I spend several weeks every year on the north shore of the island of Kauai. While staying out in the jungles of Haena with my friend Doug, he asked if I could help his friend Marco get a dead rat out of his piano. I asked, “What is Marco’s address?” Doug replied with typical Hawaiian directions as follows: Drive to the two bridges. In between, turn right up the dirt road. When you get to the broken down truck, turn left. “How will I know which truck?” I asked. He said, “You’ll know”. After turning go to the house at the end and go upstairs.

I did all of this and arrived at Marco’s shack in the jungle. The piano was a gorgeous 1985 Steinway M grand in mint condition. Quite a contrast to the humble shack in the middle of the rainforest. Marco was a hardcore surfer with a red face, tan skin, heavy brow who looked like one of man’s ancient ancestors. There were scantily clad Brazilian girls everywhere in a panic from the smell. They had tried to take it apart themselves and parts were everywhere.

In about five minutes, I had the action out, and removed the rat. I put it back together and remedied the damage they had done. Marco was so grateful that he told me I was welcome in his home any time and to please play the piano as much as possible. I took him up on this invitation and stopped in almost every day to play for about an hour. The construction workers who were hammering away downstairs greeted me as “The Piano Guy” and were happy to hear me play. It was definitely one of the highlights of my last trip.

Cutest Item: Dear Jacob Letter.

What always intrigues me is that each item tells a story about the past. This was a secret letter written by a child which, like the rest, ended up inside the piano. It reads as follows:

“Dear Jacob, I wrote in xmd. If you don’t know what that means it’s my new language. It means thank you for the Pikachu pillow. I love it. From Andrea.”

Runner Up:

Hair Brush.

Probably nearly as interesting as the T.V. remote.

Please check in periodically to see what new finds I have discovered.

If you are having some mechanical issues with your piano and you think you a strange foreign object might be the culprit, visit:

http://lapianotuning.com

We will fix the problem, and you might even find your way into the next blog.

Please check in periodically to see what new finds I have discovered.

If you are having some mechanical issues with your piano and you think you a strange foreign object might be the culprit, visit:

http://lapianotuning.com

We will fix the problem, and you might even find your way into the next blog.

The Mechanics of Piano Tuning

From the exterior, the workings of the piano appear quite simple – you press a key and a sound is produced. However, the mechanism that allows all this to happen is far more complex than one might realize. This article will talk in detail about the moving parts inside your piano, as well as how to keep them working properly.

The piano was not the first keyboard instrument. It was preceeded by the organ, the clavichord, and the harpsichord. The piano had a major advantage over these instruments, however, which was dynamic control. That is to say, the harder you press the key, the louder the note. In the early 1700′s Bartolomeo Christofori came up with the mechanism which makes this possible know as the “double escapement mechanism”.

When you push down on the key a hammer strikes the string producing a sound. In a real piano, there are many levers in between. However, imagine for a moment that the key and hammer were connected together as one solid piece. If you pushed down on the key the hammer would hit the string, but with the key still depressed the hammer would continue touching the string and stop it from vibrating. The resulting sound would be a metallic thud. The innovation of the piano mechanism is that the lever which pushes on the hammer slips out of the way at the last second so that the hammer can actually bounce off the string and allow it to vibrate.

The early prototypes of the piano were still a far cry from the modern piano. J.S. Bach lived just long enough to see the first versions of the piano come into being. In fact, there is a famous anecdote in which he visits his son who was court musician for King Frederick of Prussia and the king showed off several new pianos he had just acquired. However, Bach regarded these early prototypes as garish and crude instruments. In Mozart’s time, the piano really came into it’s own as the mechanism was perfected enough for professional usage.

As a piano owner, it is useful to have some knowledge of the workings of the piano, so that you will recognize the importance of having it maintained. Just for the key to hit the hammer properly, there are five moving parts. These parts are the KEY, the WHIPPEN, the JACK, the REPETITION LEVER, and the HAMMER. Each of these moves on a hinge known as a FLANGE. If the wood swells due to high humidity, this flange may become tight and any one of these parts may cease to move. This is why I strongly emphasize a HUMIDITY CONTROL SYSTEM on all pianos. If the flange becomes loose due to low humidity or wear and tear, then the part will move too easily and may even wobble. The result is commonly a clicking sound. If such problems are not prevented by controlling the humidity inside the piano, then your technician will ultimately have to take out the part, remove the pin from the flange, file it with a long needle, then install a new pin. The whole process takes about ten minutes per key. Installing a humidity system can reduce the need for these types of repairs and save you money.

Because there are so many moving parts, each part must be adjusted to precisely the right setting. This procedure is know as regulation. Every five to ten years, your piano should undergo a full regulation to ensure that all the mechanical parts are functioning properly.

Please visit http://lapianotuning.com to keep your piano tuned and functioning properly.

Kauai, the northernmost of the Hawaiian islands, is where I learned how to tune pianos. It also happens to be the rainiest place on earth. This article will share anecdotes from my experiences in tropical paradise.

For two and a half years, I lived on the north shore of Kauai. I worked as a high school teacher, and also gave music lessons privately. My piano students kept asking if I knew anyone who could tune their piano. The only name I had was an older fellow named Mr. Rapozo. However, whenever my clients called him for a tune up, he would take one look at their piano, say “I am too old for this!” and turn around and leave without touching the instrument. After about three of my clients complained to me, a lightbulb went off in my head that I should learn how to tune pianos.

I signed up for the most prestigious correspondence course available from the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology and began learning my trade. Initially I just tuned pianos on the cheap for friends and eventually started tuning more professionally. When I was learning, my first few pianos took a whopping FOUR HOURS each. I remember it was a big breakthrough when I actually tried to book two pianos in one day.

Eventually I moved back to L.A., continued gaining experience and knowledge as a tuner, and began getting referrals from some very illustrious clients. My skills had clearly gotten to a level where even the most discerning clients were happy with my work. However, I still made it a point to fly back to Kauai every year to tune up the pianos on the island.

Typically I visit in March because that’s when the surf is best at my favorite spot called Tunnels. About a month before my trip, I start advertising in the local paper. I also contact all my previous clients. As the calls start coming in, I keep track of who needs a tune up. A few days before I leave I start packing up my tools, my surfboards, and my clothing. When I get to the airport I am carrying two 35 lb. tool bags, one on each arm, two surfboards, a carry-on suitcase, and a backpack with all my chargers, computer, ipad, and technology. If that sounds like a lot, it is.

When I get to the curb at the airport, I have someone from the local “island car” rental company pick me up. These are real junkers that go for about twenty bucks a day, cash. Sometimes, they may have a smashed side window, pink transmission fluid squirting out, and a stick to prop up the trunk. Usually the first day I don’t schedule any tunings as I need to get my logistics squared away.

As far as lodging goes I have a lot of good friends on the island. My accommodations range from couch surfing in a cliffside condo 100′ above the ocean, a brand new guest house on a giant property with horses and fruit trees, or my own bedroom in a house high up in the jungle. Regardless of where I stay it always feels like home.

On the last visit I tuned a whopping 35 pianos, averaging about three per day. Just juggling that many clients is a workout. I am typically typing away on the computer late into the night rearranging my calendar and confirming appointments. Because there are mountains in the middle of the island, and impassable cliffs on the west side, you have to drive all the way around to get to the other side. That means I have to be smart in scheduling my appointments. I will typically work one town each day. Waimea one day, Lihue another, Kapaa another, etc.

 

I try to get in a surf every day that I am there. I am usually in the water by 7:00 or 8:00AM, surf for about two or three hours then hit the road to do my tuning appointments. On a busy day I may start at 11:00 AM, and easily go till 8:00 or 9:00 PM, seeing three different clients. The pianos are often in pretty bad shape over in Hawaii due to the moisture so I will commonly install a humidity control system, clean the interior, fix some broken strings, and possibly do two full tunings to get in it pitch. Here is a fairly typical problem I often see.

On the way home, I stop at the local Foodland, get a giant sandwich with my Makai discount card, then fall asleep at my lodging for the night. The next morning I start all over again.