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PRACTICAL PIANO TUNING
,:
By ALEXANDER HART
Formerly with Steinway & Sons Tuning Department, Instructor In
Piano Tuning, Teachers College, Columbia University, N. Y.
Registered Member of the
National Association of Piano Tuners
Notes of Interest on Tuning
SSUME that the minor problems
A
outlined in Article No. 10 could
be taken care of by the handyman, pro-
viding he has had some previous ex-
perience with pianos.
This is all right, but being handy
does not always end with the eliminator
of various noises and squeaks.
It may so happen that the cause
could be in any part of the action, or
perhaps around the dampers. Should
they be out of alignment, this kind of
work calls for an experienced regulator
on grand actions, and especially damp-
ers, seating, bedding or bending damp-
er wires is not for the novice.
Without the slightest knowledge of
what grand action regulating means,
and what it means to be one, unfortu-
nately there is no law that can stop any-
one from tampering with mechanical
contrivances that belongs to the skilled
artisan.
In the final analysis, a fine action
regulator that can do a good tuning
job can find a place in any part of the
United States with a reputable piano
dealer.
No. 11
Diagram No. 4 has appeared in a
previous article. We are using it again
for describing the damper mechanism.
You may observe No. 1 denotes the
string. The damper felt is not resting
on it. The felt, No.. 4, seems to be all
right and so does the damper wires.
There has been little change in con-
struction, if there is a difference in the
workmanship and better materials.
No. 7 is important and should never
be overlooked, viz., whenever the action
is out of the case.
As you will note, there is a damper
stop rail with felt under it, acting as
a cushion to halt any noise and clicks
when the dampers are in use.
A recommended procedure is to
tighten the screws on No. 7. Should
they be loose, the rail will shift, and
the dampers be raised too high.
There is a regulated distance for the
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1953
must be resorted to, but unless one is
careful the bushing could be forced
out of its socket.
Some technicians use an umbrella
spoke, tapered off so that it can pass
through the damper wire and bushing.
Personally. I do not advocate "easy-
outs" too frequently, for it is best (al-
though it means removing the action to
get at it) to take the damper and the
wire out and dilate the bushing, thus
saving a lot of uneasiness that comes
by quick methods.
OBITUARIES
JOHN
NO.
4
heighth, and if one has had no training
in this branch, it is best to proceed
with caution.
At the flange marked "11" squeaks
develop, and a touch of gasoline placed
on the side of the bushing generally
stops it; also No. 12, where the damper
wire passes through bushing cloth can
become sluggish through dampness and
general climatic conditions. A drop of
fluid made especially for these minor
tro'ubles is sold by piano supply com-
panies, who try to cater to the piano
technicians' wants.
I noticed, the other day when visit-
ing the New York Trade School, on the
desks were all the catalogues of the
piano supply houses.
Piano technicians should always have
one at hand for immediate reference.
There is no telling when water is ac-
cidentally spilled on the dampers, mak-
ing bushings so tight that dilating them
KUB1CEK
John Kubicek of 20 Warburton Ave.,
Yonkers. N. Y.. a piano merchant, died
March 29th in Yonkers General Hos-
pital at the age of 63.
He leaves his wife, Christine; two
sons. Thomas and George; a daughter,
Christine, and two sisters.
Mr. Kubicek had operated the store
since its founding in 1919.
Coming to this country from his
native Czechoslovakia at the age of
fourteen, Mr. Kubicek lived in New
York City until 1916. when he moved
to Yonkers. He had served his ap-
prenticeship at the Estey Piano Co.
there in New York, in the piano tuning
department of John Wanamaker and
the old Weber factory.
Mr. Kubicek was a member of Lily
Lodge of Masons, the National Slovak
Society, the National Slovak Sokols.
and of Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran
Church here.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Kubicek
is survived by two sons, Thomas and
George, with whom he operated the
store; a daughter, Miss Christine Ku-
ibcek; two sisters, Mrs. Suzanne Kutka
of Yonkers and Mrs. Dorothy Wal-
aschek of Long Island, and two grand-
children.
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