Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
MAY
6, 1922
up enough to crack slightly each time the ham-
mer swings back to rest after a stroke. Some-
times the flanges need tightening, and sometimes
the hammer-stems are loose.
A symposium of opinions on this subject from
readers in general would be much welcomed.
Brothers Mclendy, Bowman, Bishop, Kiker, Shaw,
Hawley, Polhamus and others, please take notice.
And don't be mad if I have omitted your name
from the list above. 1 didn't mean it.
When there is this standard price, the man who
called at the store in the morning will not be
upset when he talks to the man who called to
protection compares as to sufficiency with the
look at the same piano in the afternoon.
simple method of covering the pins and the wire
"In my opinion, the dealer holds the most
with powdered chalk. The pins can he kept in
prominent place among those whose duty it is
a box of chalk. The wire will be found to be
to educate the public. For after all, just how far
well covered with it in the package in which it
can the tuner do this? 1 believe, as you said
was shipped. To keep the wire in this desirable
some time ago, that the tuners as an organiza-
condition and also to guard further against con-
tion will have to begin by agitating a reform in
tact of the pins with the perspiring fingers it
education before we can get very far. Articles
is advisable to dip one's hand in the chalk each
on the care of the piano, published in magazines
"OUTPUT AND TONE"
time a pin is taken up. These precautions may
of wide circulation, will go a long way. But
Writing from Pleasant Hill, 111., Brother Shaw
if a tuner hands a customer a pamphlet deal-
appear to be troublesome, but they are, in reality,
puts a question which is suggested to him by the
ing with this subject, the customer reads a little
not half so annoying as they sound.
coming of Spring in the fair country which lies
of it, puts it aside and often thinks that perhaps
around his home. What he says is practical
it is simply a device of the tuner to stimulate
WALTER PFEIFFER'S BOOK
and useful and deserves attention:
his business.
"Spring is coming to our Pleasant Hill, with
Taste Und Hebeglied Des Klaviers, Eine Unter-
"I myself believe in explaining every part of a
suchung Ihrer Beziehung im Unmittlebaren its music sweeter and richer than the hand of
piano to the owner, removing the top and bot-
man
can
devise.
The
busy
nest-building
birds
Angriff, von Walter Pfeiffer, Leipzig, Paul de
are singing their love songs. The music of the tom frames and giving a five or ten-minute talk
Witt, 1920. M. 63
brooks tells that the ice-cap at last is gone. to the owner on the various parts of the piano,
in connection with its care. This will do what
Under this title, which may be translated "The Frisking in the pastures the young lambs mingle a printed pamphlet can never do. Tuners arc
their
voices
with
Nature's
choir.
Every
part
of
key and wippen systems of the piano; an inquiry
sometimes afraid they may tell too much. But
into their relations when in contact," Herr Pfeif- the whole is in tune with every other part of this is a mistake. Not only should tuners ac-
Nature's
perfect
instrument.
And
as
one
goes
fer has written a book which deserves a place in
quaint their customers with these facts, but they
the library of every piano technician who can from place to place listening to all these spar- should also themselves know all the good and
kling
sounds
of
Nature
one
cannot
help
wonder-
read German, for in this book the author has
bad points of all makes of pianos so that they
made a valuable contribution to a part of piano ing why it is that the average home has been can give accurate answers when questions are
so
long
content
with
music
made
on
instruments
technology which has been hitherto much neg-
all the time out of tune, all the time lacking that asked them. A tuner should in his locality be a
lected.
quality of tone which alone appeals to the higher bureau of information, having at all times a
As his title discloses, the author's purpose is
strong desire to see that the public gets more
feelings?
to analyze the kinetics of the interdependent mo-
interested in quality.
"Your
article,
'Output
and
Tone,'
suggests
tions of the piano key and of that part of the
"In conclusion, it is certainly high time for the
action which comes directly in contact with it. these thoughts. I like to hear the naked truth
makers of popular pianos to put some good qual-
once
in
a
while,
as
you
have
here
expressed
it.
Tn so doing he has adopted a mathematical treat-
ity into their products and make them so that
ment which, of course, is the only possible treat- Too many popular pianos have been sold out of
they will stay in tune for a little while, and give
their
class,
sold
as
if
they
were
instruments
of
ment in the circumstances. He discusses, with
out a better tone. Let the good work of the
the aid of numerous geometrical diagrams de- the highest quality, to buyers able and willing
Technical Department go on."
to
pay
for
the
best.
Free
tuning,
with
its
vague
signed to show the loci of the turning points in
the courses of their motions, every dimensional promises of 'keeping the piano in tune' for one,
CONTRIBS WANTED
feature of the contact parts; and lays down rules two, three years or longer, has also had much
for determining the curvature, length and angu- to do with the general public loss of interest in at any and all times. Anything interesting to
lar relation of sliding surfaces among keys, piano tone.
the readers of this department is interesting to
"If the men who make pianos cannot find the editor. Send your matter to William Braid
wippens and sticker-members. He attacks the
questions of repetition, of touch-depth for the enough merit in their own product to put a stand- White, care of Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth
keys and of the resistance-weight of the action. ard price on it, then something is the matter. avenue, New York.
His tables and diagrams are by far the most
comprehensive that have yet appeared, nor can
too much praise be given to him for the thor-
oughness and patience he has displayed in the
THE CELEBRATED
course of his analysis of the obscure problems
involved in the kinetic-dynamic problems of the
piano action.
At this time such analysis is doubly useful
because it shows us (1) a correct method for ap-
proaching the study of improvements in action
design, and (2) a line of approach to the solu-
(FELTEN & GUILLEAUME)
tion of the difficult problems surrounding the
questions of hammer-velocity and hammer-blow
power. The latter problems demand solution
to-day because of their bearing upon the design
of reproducing piano mechanism.
(Continued from page 11)
F&C
IMPORTED
MUSIC WIRE
THAT WHACKING SOUND
"Dear Mr. White: In many pianos I have
tuned I notice a certain slapping or whacking
noise in the action, which sounds as though the
back catch had no felt, or as if the wippen were
hitting the regulating rail. I have looked for
loose hammers or for felt worn out under the
keys, but there still remains a slapping noise
that I do not understand. I have found this in
pianos practically new and should therefore be
glad to have you make some suggestion. Re-
spectfully, E. M. Hickam, Hilton, W. Va."
There are several possibilities in a case like
this. Frequently noises occur through the rub-
bing of the bridle eyes in their hooks, owing to
corrosion of the hooks through dampness or
other causes. Again, if the buckskin under the
hammer-knuckle and above the jack becomes
hard, or the graphite is entire worn off the jack at
the point of contact, there will result undoubtedly
either a squeaking or a slapping noise. Some-
'.times the damper-lifting spoons are out of regu-
lation with the damper-levers and cause a noise
when they come into engagement. Sometimes,
of course, the stem of the backstop loosens
IN BLACK, RED and GREEN
LABEL BRANDS
IS UNEXCELLED
The " F & C " Blue Label Brand is again being
used by Rudolph C. Koch in the manufacture
off the Reinwarth Covered Bass Strings
For TUNERS and REPAIRERS we have the
convenient one quarter pound clamps
HAM MAC HER, SCHLEMMER& CO.
PIANO AND PLAYER HARDWARE, FELTS AND TOOLS
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
.
4th Ave. and 13th St.