The mystery of NOTE CLICKING B is solved!

Here's a snatch of the bug that invaded Steinway M (1917) as long desired, drought-relieving rains encapsulated the piano for days. (Were weather changes the cause of an uninvited guest seeking sanctuary between hammers, in finite action spaces?) http://youtu.be/CbJkWOrgO5s Israel Stein, RPT/EMT, in "high tech" detective mode, responded pronto, and tenaciously scoped out the uninvited…

An informative chat with a whimsical piano technician (REGISTERED, of course)

I had a delightful exchange with John Peters, RPT, about pianos, restorations, repairs, machine vs. aural tunings, and all that sprung from his wild imagination. For instance, John communicates an intense passion for tuning.. "I get paid to "meditate," he insists. Then he quickly veers off with a one-liner about fixing squeaky pedals. "I pour…

Piano Technician Call Back: Please fix these notes! (Before and After Video)

Growing up in New York City, I had a memorable, rotund tuner named Buchbaum, who talked my ear off while tuning a Sohmer upright. Consequently, he left the piano with "beating" octaves, thirds, and sixths. In so may words, the piano not only took a beating, but it warbled all over the place, causing widespread…

Piano Interviews by phone (Don’t copy me)

It's a rainy day and I'm braced for a shower of criticism. Just consider a few of my piano phone interviews in the private party marketplace. I confess that on occasion, I've undermined my own staunch recommendations to prospective buyers as follows: PLAY THE PIANO UNDER CONSIDERATION! IF YOU LIKE ITS TONE, TOUCH, TIMBRE, GET…

The voices of piano technicians around the country

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 branches in cities all over the country. Since piano tuning is not a licensed profession,…