Category Archives: piano technician’s guild

Piano Maintenance– About hammers: all or partial replacement? (Video)

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

When my Baldwin Hamilton 1929 grand underwent exploratory surgery in the capable hands of Mark Schecter, RPT, I had some pointed questions. Given that the piano had a glassy-sounding upper treble due to worn down hammers, would installing a partial … Continue reading →

Posted in Keith Aikens Registered piano technician, Mark Schecter, Mark Schecter Registered Piano Technician, piano maintenance, piano repair, piano technician, piano technician's guild, PTG, Uncategorized, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Windex on ivory keys: Did it remove the gray spots?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by

There was definitely an improvement after Mark scrubbed the whites and even the black key OFFENDERS with Windex. I don’t believe, however, that the gray will ever be totally removed because it had become ingrained into the keys by its … Continue reading →

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Piano Maintenance: The elements of Regulation (Videos)

Posted on March 13, 2012 by

Mark Schecter, RPT, demonstrated a phase of the Regulation process as it pertained to smoothing out the note-to-note feel of my Baldwin Hamilton 1929 grand. In the course of a thorough assessment, the instrument was found to have worn out … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Mark Schecter, piano maintenance, piano regulation, piano repair, piano technician, piano technician's guild, rebuilding pianos, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Maintenance Teaser: Graying ivories and a squeaky note

Posted on March 13, 2012 by

This is a video preview of what will follow later today when several uploads related to my Baldwin piano’s weekend “regulation” are lined up on You Tube. As a start, one of the problems plaguing my recently acquired Hamilton grand … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Mark Schecter Registered Piano Technician, piano, piano maintenance, piano maintenance and repair, Piano Street, piano technician, piano technician's guild, Piano World, piano world-wide, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Uncategorized, word press, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The original article in the Piano Quarterly that inspired an examination of the piano tuner/technician landscape

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

RELATED: http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/treading-on-hallowed-ground-the-challenge-of-maintaining-fine-pianos-after-a-personal-tragedy/ http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/the-voices-of-piano-technicians-around-the-country/

Posted in Fresno, Fresno California, piano maintenance, piano maintenance in small communities, piano repair, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuners, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The voices of piano technicians around the country

Posted on November 6, 2011 by

I had the invaluable opportunity to interview various Registered Piano Technicians around the country about various aspects of their profession. First, to become a RPT, the candidate takes an exam that’s administered through the Piano Technician’s Guild (PTG) which has … Continue reading →

Posted in "The Endangered Piano Technician" by James Boyk, arioso7, Dale Erwin, Dale Erwin Modesto California, Dale Erwin pianotechnician and rebuilder, James Boyk pianist, New York Steinway hammers, Ny Steinway vintage piano, piano, piano technician, Piano Technician's Guil, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuners, piano tuning, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld.com, PTG, Registered piano technician, Renner piano hammers, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway piano factory in Long Island, Terry Barrett, Terry Barrett piano technician, voicing pianos, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Treading on hallowed ground: the challenge of maintaining fine pianos after a personal tragedy

Posted on November 5, 2011 by

I kept this controversial blog topic in my back pocket for safe keeping until a close friend fired off an e-mail with a link to a recent movie review of Pianomania: From IMDB: “Pianomania follows Stefan Knüpfer, a piano tuner … Continue reading →

Posted in "The Endangered Piano Technician", James Boyk, Los Angeles Philharmonic, piano technician, Piano Technician's Guil, piano technician's guild, piano tuners, problems with maintenance of fine pianos, PTG, Scientific American, voicing pianos, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

PULLS AND TUGS: Two sides of the piano student/teacher relationship

Posted on March 9, 2011 by

There are two sides to every story, so in all fairness I’ve posited a number of situations that crop up in the piano lesson environment, with an analysis from the Teacher and Student’s point of view. In some instances, I’ve … Continue reading →

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Fighting for a Dream Piano (Hopefully it should not come to this)

Posted on January 19, 2011 by

This writing, true to the last detail is meant to give piano buyers a heads up about how to handle a situation where an Oral Agreement may be breached by a seller. The following ad was placed at the on … Continue reading →

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Do’s and Don’ts for Piano Buyers and Sellers (Dream Piano’s last Chapter)

Posted on January 19, 2011 by

DO’s for Buyers If possible take along a Registered Piano Technician and performing pianist with a good pair of ears to evaluate a used or new piano on the market. You can find a list of RPT members at your … Continue reading →

Posted in antique pianos, antiques, appraisal piano, authorsden, bluebookofpianos.com, cabinet grand, cd baby, cdbaby, Connell York, cracked piano plate, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Facebook, Fresno Piano Store, humor, Larry Fine, mice, moths, Mr. York, MTAC, music, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, my space, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, old upright, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano finding, piano finding adventure, piano repair, piano restoration, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano technician, piano technician's guild, piano tuner, piano tuning, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Pierce Piano Atlas, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Steinway grand piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, technique, The Piano Book, uk-piano-forums, used piano, used pianos, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , | 2 Comments