Music Trade Review

Issue: 1945 Vol. 104 N. 4

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FIRST AID IN PIANO REPAIRS
By ALEXANDER HART
Instructor in Piano Tuning,
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York
EDITOR'S NOTE : Dealers and tuners who have a fair work-
ing knowledge of this art, can pick up some extra practical
training by Mr. Hart, c/o Music TRADE REVIEW, 1270 Sixth
Avenue, New York 20, N. Y.
The Elementary Phases
Of Piano Tuning
(Continued
REPAIRING ACTION PARTS
The Flange
Look at the illustration. It is a re-
production of the flange that holds the
hammer butt in its place. How easy
it is for anyone to push the pin back
in place.
This surely will serve its purpose
1 I
|_i
O
temporarily; but it is not a practical
way, nor is it professional, as we
would expect when a competent serv-
ice man is called in to repair the piano.
How impractical, and what extra
time it takes to rebush a flange, when
so damaged there is little to be done,
except replace it with a new one.
This may seem a small item to talk
about, yet it is important—so much
so, in fact that the hammer cannot
function properly unless the flange that
holds the butt is also functioning and
all three work together, contributing
what is termed regulation.
If a service man understands the
working elements of the action, the
whys and wherefores—very
often
knowing how to analyze first, before
you begin to work, is one of the serv-
ice man's best assets.
When in doubt, always spend a few
extra moments and remove the action
part to be fixed up; and remember—
a flange pin must be tight in the wood;
otherwise, it will work loose again'.
There are a number of things that
happen to cause the piano keys not to
function. There is, however, a very
disagreeable feeling for any one prac-
ticing piano lessons when hammers
block, i.e., when they don't respond at
once, stay against the strings or hit
the wrong string, which brings us back
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1945
from
March)
One reason for suggesting not to re-
move the action unless it is absolutely
necessary—many times one is called
upon to repair just one or two items,
a jack, and broken hammer shank,
therefore it is a time saver.
When the hammer and butt is re-
and bridle hooked up to its wire, be
placed and spring placed in groove,
sure the hammer is resting on the
rail. If the jack flange is not seated—
it will be noticed when the hammer is
quite a distance from the rail. In case
this happens, it can be corrected by
turning the capstan screw down.
to the flange and its pin.
A few hints here and there:
A. Don't start out without checking
up on materials you need in your kit.
B. In case the job is a spinet type,
do your best and try to leave the cus-
tomer satisfied.
C. When taking an action out of a
spinet bothers you, don't fuss too much
—just make an excuse to return. In
the meantime, go to a wareroom and
I am sure the foreman or head tuner
will show you and explain fully how
to take it out and replace it.
In the last issue we spoke about re-
moving the hammer and butt for clear-
ance—especially when about to reglue
a loose jack.
You can see for yourself by illustra-
tion.
Note—The spring is hooked to the
No. 2—Photo shows movement at rest, with
lack and flange in correct position.
This lowers the hammer and brings
it back to normal on the cushion or
rail. There must be no lost motion.
Can Request Price Increase
For Porable Reed Organs
Applications for individual price in-
creases on additional items of con-
sumers' goods may now be made by
manufacturers under an amendment
effective March 19, 1945, the Office of
Price Administration announced re-
cently. Portable reed organs were in-
cluded in this list for which increases
in prices might be asked for.
School of Pianoforte Technology
Moves to Larger Quarters
No. 7—Photo shows jack and flange ready
to be glued in place.
back check. This stops the jack from
returning to place—and upsetting the
glue joint before it is properly set.
On and after April 16, 1945, The
School of Pianoforte Technology, con-
ducted by Dr. William Braid White,
will occupy new and enlarged quarters
in the Chicago Musical College BuiW-
ing, 64 East Van Buren Street, Chi-
cago 5, 111. The telephone nnmber is
HARrison 6830.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Magnavox Survey Shows
Classical Music Leads
So-called "popular" music is less
popular than symphony and other
classical and "light classic" music with
a full two-thirds of the owners of
Magnavox radio-phonographs, accord-
ing to results of a poll just completed
by The Magnavox Company (Fort
Wayne, Indiana), through its national
agency—Maxon, Inc., of Chicago.
Less surprising only in the light of
the first finding is the fact that the
record-player is in use nearly as much
of the operating time of a Magnavox
combination as is the radio receiver.
Exact results of the Magnavox-
Maxon survey show that 66.3% of
Magnavox owners prefer symphony
and other classics, while only 20.4%
expressed preference for "popular"
music.
Magnavox record-players are in op-
eration 43.3% of the instrument's play-
ing time, and the radio receivers only
56.7% of the time.
The company prefers not to risk
an oversimplified interpretation of the
poll, but it believes significant the addi-
tional finding that 44.3% of all Magna-
vox radio-phonograph owners list "su-
perior tone" as their reason for buying
Magnavox in the first place.
Hence, the company concludes, those
who preferred better kinds of music
before owning their present reproduc-
ing instruments bought them with best
possible tonal reproduction in mind,
while many others probably first dis-
covered the beauties of good music
after finding themselves the owners of
instruments capable of surprisingly
faithful tone-reproduction.
In any event, findings of the poll
have tended to confirm The Magnavox
Company in its earlier judgment of the
kind of advertising and promotional
policies most likely to combine public
service and sales* self-interest.
For, throughout the past two years,
Magnavox campaigns have stressed
nothing more than the enjoyment-value
of good music—through use of the
paintings of great men of music in
the Magnavox Collection in the com-
pany's n a t i o n a l
advertisements,
through national distribution of indi-
vidual portfolios of reproductions of
those paintings, through a new book-
let prepared for Magnavox by Sig-
mund Spaeth on music appreciation
for children and their parents ("Music
—A Priceless Heritage"), etc.
"Good music" will continue to be
the dominant theme of Magnavox
promotion.
Wants Tuner's Tools
March 16, 1945
My dear Mr. Hart:
I am in Government Service, as a mail
carrier for 18 years, so I am looking 1
forward for a skill profession at retire-
ment. I am now serving as a local ac-
companist and church org-anist.
Since a lack of competent piano tun-
ers has been generally acknowledged, I
have been working- hard refreshing- my-
self in the profession, by using- only
text books, and applying repairing 1
knowledge without tools.
PFRIEMER
You can help me to get started again,
by aiding- me in securing- the necessary
tools as: (please state cost)
1. A tuning hammer
2. Peel picker
3. Center pin holder
4. Combination handle
5. Screwdriver blades
6. Regulating screwdriver
7. Offset key spacer
8. Screw holder
Your articles on the "Elementary
Phases of Piano Tuning" are very help-
ful. Please advise me what good text-
book I can purchase.
Thank you,
Nathaniel N. Wilson
3348 Michigan Avenue
East Chicago, Indiana
Pear Mr. Wilson:
In answer to your letter of March
ldth, if you will write to the American
Piano Supply Company, 19th Street and
Fourth Avenue, New York City; Tuners
Supply Company, Winter Hill Station,
Boston, Mass., and to Tonk Bros. Com-
pany, 623 So. Wabash Avenue, Chicago,
Illinois, they will furnish you with all
the information regarding- the tools you
would require and the price. I am not
quite sure that you can get some of the
tools which you list in your letter.
What textbook you have used and
read, I do not know; but I am listing
below a few books which are up-to-
date:
Piano Tuning- and Its Allied Arts—
G. W. Braid.
Scientific Piano Tuning and Servic-
ing—Alfred H. Howe.
A book by the Faust School of Pi-
ano Tuning, Boston, Mass.
All textbooks have their special fea-
tures, and it is what you get out of
each one that counts.
Write me again sometime. Hoping
this information will be helpful to you,
I am,
Very truly yours,
Alexander Hart.
Mfrs. of
PIANO HAMMERS
and
HIGH GRADE FELTS
Specialists in Repair Sets
Originators of
Reenforced Hammers
CHAS. PFRIEMER, INC.
TUNING PINS
Since 1897
AMSCO-WIRE PRODUCTS
CORPORATION
610-624 Grand Avenue
Kidgefield, N. J.
PARAGON
FACTORIES
Felt Mill
Easton, Pa.
781 E. 142 nd St.
New York
PIAJVO PLATES
ACCURACY
FINISH
WEAVER PIANO
VINCENT VILIM, INC.
SERVICE
A Musical Masterpiece
PARAGON FOUNDRIES
Weaver Piano Co., York, Pa.
30
OREGON

E. D. Perry
E. D. Perry, for many years with
E. E. Forbes Piano Co., Birmingham,
Ala., recently passed away at the age
of about 69. Mr. Perry started to work
in 1897 as a salesman. He later learned
to tune pianos and gave up selling.
He then started out for himself,
tuning pipe organs. His failing health
did not permit him to work on the
pipe organs, so he returned to the
Forbes Company where he stayed until
about three weeks before his death.
ILLINOIS
Manufacturer of
PIANO HAMMERS
Made of high grade Domestic Felts
GRAND AND UPRIGHT HAMMERS A
SPECIALTY
20 No. Hillside Ave., Elmsf ord, N.Y.
Phone Elmsford 4449
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1945

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