Music Trade Review
Issue: 1925 Vol. 81 N. 2 - Page 13
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JULY 11, 1925
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
13
TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
Conducted By William Braid White
Problems Met by the Piano Tuner and
Repair Man in the Tropic Clime of Cuba
W. H. Smith, Head of a Well-organized Repair Shop in Havana, Who Covers the Entire Island
of Cuba, and Who Makes Periodic Trips to Some of the Other West Indies., Describes
Some of His Experiences—The Question of the New Standard Pitch
OWN in Havana, Cuba, W. H. Smith
runs a large, well-organized piano service
shop, from which he covers the whole
island and also some of the neighboring West
Indian Islands, notably the British Bahamas.
He is specializing now on Ampico, Welte and
Angelus reproducer service, and also does gen-
eral tuning, repairing and regulating on straight
pianos and pedal player-pianos.
Mr. Smith's experiences are naturally very
valuable, for the climate in which he works
and the other conditions which bound his opera-
tions are in general more severe than any-
thing we have to deal with in the U. S. A.
He has written the interesting letter given in
full below, commenting on some of our recent
discussions and telling very much that is inter-
esting about what he does down there.
Loose Tuning Pins
"Please permit me to add my remarks to
your interesting discussion about loose tuning
pins. I guess you can class us down here as
being in the 'South.' I do work on about every
American and a great many foreign makes of
pianos, and during the last five years I have
never found a new piano with loose tuning pins.
Your correspondent, H. G. Browne, tells all our
troubles when lie mentions dampness and tight
center pins. These give us a great deal of
trouble. In all cases where gasoline does not
give permanent results, we change the butt
flange pins, and sometimes the jack flange, and
that usually has a permanent effect. Having
had so much of it to do we find that this prac-
tice has enabled us to do it in very little time,
and getting paid well for it, we find it good
business. In most cases of tight pins, however,
I have found it was because the instrument
was not used enough and was allowed to stand
for weeks at a time. This cannot be done in
our climate without disastrous results for the
piano owner and beneficial results for us fel-
lows.
Players Down There
"In another article about loss of power and
valve remedies, such as filler, vaseline, etc.,
permit me to tell you my experience here.
Probably there are few other places in the world
where so much of this kind of work is done.
A player action here allowed to stand without
use for three weeks will not play a note when
you go to play again, and we know almost at
once when we are called to look at it that it is
valves. Even the public here seems to know
now when you say valves just what has hap-
pened. In the five years I have been down
here I suppose we have tried every way pos-
D
Send for This Valuable
Free Book
One of the surest ways to increase
your profits Is to repair mars and
scratches immediately. If your prospec-
tive customer sees a defect in the finish
your chance of making a sale is greatly
diminished.
"How to Repair Damage to Var-
nished Surfaces" tells how you can in-
stantly repair any injury to the finish
of musical instruments or fine furniture.
It will interest .any dealer, tuner or
repair man.
WRITE
FOR FREE COPY TODAY
If you are too busy to write a letter, pin
this ad to your curd or letterhead and mail
it to us. We'll know what you want.
The M. L. Campbell Company
2328 Penn
Kanjai City, Mo.
sible to get vacuum without taking the valves
out. In Standard and DeLuxe actions we find
the top seat tight, that is not flexible, and the
cups corroded and perhaps the stems also cor-
roded. Cleaning the cups or changing them
when they are too bad, cleaning the valves with
a safety razor blade to get the corrosion from
beneath the metal washer so the top seat will
be flexible, and brushing the bottom seat with
a tooth brush, have always given us good re-
sults here, and we do on the average about
three or four sets of valves per month. In this
connection allow me to add that the bushings
in the guides, top and bottom, are a very im-
portant item and should be bushed again if they
are worn or moth eaten. Even with perfect
valves loose guides will kill vacuum. Too much
motion will do the same thing, but in another
way, this has the effect of good vacuum on the
blank, but losing power as you play. We never
have pouches shrink here and rarely ever have
to rub pouches. Lead tubing, however, is a
good source of income and will last here on
the average about three years. This tubing, if
it is covered, will last indefinitely, and only
where it is exposed, usually about two or three
inches above the board it is shellacked into, will
it swell up and break. Good quality rubber
tubing lasts for ten years and more; poor
quality about two years.
"When there is loss of power in an action
always take out the primaries, clean them and
put them in again. Smaller motion than is
generally supposed to be used is better than
more. This also applies to secondary valves.
I have never found an action with loss of power
that could not be fixed up as good as new.
Sometimes we get fooled and lose money on
the job, but we always get 'vacuum.' Hence, be
sure your tubing is O. K. Clean primaries, take
out secondaries, clean them, make top seat
flexible, make bottom seat clean, also flexible
(if it is so loose it falls off, it does not matter).
The valve cups must be clean, guides not loose,
proper motion about the thickness of a dime,
packed joints tight.
"A whole leather skin costs about $1.35 at
Lutkins, so why put in vaseline, etc.? If the
packing is bad put on new and keep your cus-
tomer.
"If your bottom action is tight your action
will play. In bottom actions be sure you get
loud and soft pedal valves the same way you
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Fi*a* Tuimf, Pi»« ••<• RMJ O n "
mai f Urtr Piua. Tear B»»k Fr*«.
27-29 Gainsboro Street
BOSTON, MASS.
Established 1901
POLK TUNING SCHOOL
Pioneer school of piano, player-piano and Reproducing
Piano tuning and repairing in the United States.
Complete Courses Taught in Seven to Ten Weeks
Write for terms and literature
POLK BUILDING
VALPARAISO, IND.
get your other valves. These latter are often
overlooked. Rub out flaps and tighten up all
tubing on nipples with tape, or however you
want to do it. The thing to remember on loss
of power is that all these things mentioned
above hold your vacuum together, and one or
several of them can kill it, so go over every
thing carefully and save yourself time and
trouble taking it apart again.
Old British Pianos
"In another article was mentioned an English
piano with the name Smith on it, described as
being small and with a bird-cage action or
overhead dampers. Part of our business here
is in making two trips a year to the Bahama
Islands, where about one-half the pianos are
of English make and the other half American
make, the majority of which are over twenty
years of age. Aside from two Steinway Duo-
Arts, a Knabe grand Ampico, two Steinway
grands and one Knabe, the rest are little Eng-
lish uprights exactly like the one described.
A few recent arrivals are some English up-
rights with bird-cage actions, very small but
with seven octaves. They are very poorly made
and go to pieces very quickly. The old ones
with the straight strung scale hold up fine but
have a very small, tinny tone. All have candle
sticks, as have the German pianos being im-
ported here at present. I would judge the age
of the piano mentioned as forty years at least.
If pianos of this age and type are of any value
to any of your readers I know where plenty
of them are and can get them cheap. We have
at present a little upright about four feet high,
made in Spain, probably the same age as the
English one mentioned that we would sell to
anyone for $30. A woman gave it to us for
nothing to make room for a modern player.
Player and Piano Service in Cuba
"I have purposely written this on three dif-
ferent letter heads so as to give you an idea
how we co-operate with the dealers in giving
service. Our service covers the entire island
of Cuba, and, on the four different makes of re-
producing pianos, we guarantee service at least
twice a year. This is a large territory, and at
present a great deal of time is lost in traveling,
as the stops are far between. For instance,
(Continued on page 14)
KEYS RECOVERED AND REDDSHED
Send Postal for Free Sample
We are specialists in this work, which every dealer and tuner
needs. A l l work done by experts with most 'modern machinery,
and correct spacing is guaranteed.
Replaced keys appear
exactly as when instrument left factory.
PRICES LOW—WORK
GUARANTEED
Send Express or Parcel Post to
Frleld Miller & Co.. 3767 Illinois St., Indianapolii.lnd.
Philadelphia School of Piano Tuning
REPAIRING, REBUILDING AND
PLAYER PIANO ADJUSTING
One of the largest Schools In the Kant
Write for Catalog R
Organized 1914
The V.M.C.A., 1421 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa.
REPAIRING
and Refinishing
Pianos and Phonographs
Write for Detail* and Term*
PIANO
REPAIR
339 So. Waba»h Ave.
SHOP
Chicago
OTTO R. TREFZ, Jr.
Piano Bass Strings
Piano Repair Supplies
2110 Fairmount Ave.
. Philadelphia, Pa.
THE
JULY 11, 1925
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
13
TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
Conducted By William Braid White
Problems Met by the Piano Tuner and
Repair Man in the Tropic Clime of Cuba
W. H. Smith, Head of a Well-organized Repair Shop in Havana, Who Covers the Entire Island
of Cuba, and Who Makes Periodic Trips to Some of the Other West Indies., Describes
Some of His Experiences—The Question of the New Standard Pitch
OWN in Havana, Cuba, W. H. Smith
runs a large, well-organized piano service
shop, from which he covers the whole
island and also some of the neighboring West
Indian Islands, notably the British Bahamas.
He is specializing now on Ampico, Welte and
Angelus reproducer service, and also does gen-
eral tuning, repairing and regulating on straight
pianos and pedal player-pianos.
Mr. Smith's experiences are naturally very
valuable, for the climate in which he works
and the other conditions which bound his opera-
tions are in general more severe than any-
thing we have to deal with in the U. S. A.
He has written the interesting letter given in
full below, commenting on some of our recent
discussions and telling very much that is inter-
esting about what he does down there.
Loose Tuning Pins
"Please permit me to add my remarks to
your interesting discussion about loose tuning
pins. I guess you can class us down here as
being in the 'South.' I do work on about every
American and a great many foreign makes of
pianos, and during the last five years I have
never found a new piano with loose tuning pins.
Your correspondent, H. G. Browne, tells all our
troubles when lie mentions dampness and tight
center pins. These give us a great deal of
trouble. In all cases where gasoline does not
give permanent results, we change the butt
flange pins, and sometimes the jack flange, and
that usually has a permanent effect. Having
had so much of it to do we find that this prac-
tice has enabled us to do it in very little time,
and getting paid well for it, we find it good
business. In most cases of tight pins, however,
I have found it was because the instrument
was not used enough and was allowed to stand
for weeks at a time. This cannot be done in
our climate without disastrous results for the
piano owner and beneficial results for us fel-
lows.
Players Down There
"In another article about loss of power and
valve remedies, such as filler, vaseline, etc.,
permit me to tell you my experience here.
Probably there are few other places in the world
where so much of this kind of work is done.
A player action here allowed to stand without
use for three weeks will not play a note when
you go to play again, and we know almost at
once when we are called to look at it that it is
valves. Even the public here seems to know
now when you say valves just what has hap-
pened. In the five years I have been down
here I suppose we have tried every way pos-
D
Send for This Valuable
Free Book
One of the surest ways to increase
your profits Is to repair mars and
scratches immediately. If your prospec-
tive customer sees a defect in the finish
your chance of making a sale is greatly
diminished.
"How to Repair Damage to Var-
nished Surfaces" tells how you can in-
stantly repair any injury to the finish
of musical instruments or fine furniture.
It will interest .any dealer, tuner or
repair man.
WRITE
FOR FREE COPY TODAY
If you are too busy to write a letter, pin
this ad to your curd or letterhead and mail
it to us. We'll know what you want.
The M. L. Campbell Company
2328 Penn
Kanjai City, Mo.
sible to get vacuum without taking the valves
out. In Standard and DeLuxe actions we find
the top seat tight, that is not flexible, and the
cups corroded and perhaps the stems also cor-
roded. Cleaning the cups or changing them
when they are too bad, cleaning the valves with
a safety razor blade to get the corrosion from
beneath the metal washer so the top seat will
be flexible, and brushing the bottom seat with
a tooth brush, have always given us good re-
sults here, and we do on the average about
three or four sets of valves per month. In this
connection allow me to add that the bushings
in the guides, top and bottom, are a very im-
portant item and should be bushed again if they
are worn or moth eaten. Even with perfect
valves loose guides will kill vacuum. Too much
motion will do the same thing, but in another
way, this has the effect of good vacuum on the
blank, but losing power as you play. We never
have pouches shrink here and rarely ever have
to rub pouches. Lead tubing, however, is a
good source of income and will last here on
the average about three years. This tubing, if
it is covered, will last indefinitely, and only
where it is exposed, usually about two or three
inches above the board it is shellacked into, will
it swell up and break. Good quality rubber
tubing lasts for ten years and more; poor
quality about two years.
"When there is loss of power in an action
always take out the primaries, clean them and
put them in again. Smaller motion than is
generally supposed to be used is better than
more. This also applies to secondary valves.
I have never found an action with loss of power
that could not be fixed up as good as new.
Sometimes we get fooled and lose money on
the job, but we always get 'vacuum.' Hence, be
sure your tubing is O. K. Clean primaries, take
out secondaries, clean them, make top seat
flexible, make bottom seat clean, also flexible
(if it is so loose it falls off, it does not matter).
The valve cups must be clean, guides not loose,
proper motion about the thickness of a dime,
packed joints tight.
"A whole leather skin costs about $1.35 at
Lutkins, so why put in vaseline, etc.? If the
packing is bad put on new and keep your cus-
tomer.
"If your bottom action is tight your action
will play. In bottom actions be sure you get
loud and soft pedal valves the same way you
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Fi*a* Tuimf, Pi»« ••<• RMJ O n "
mai f Urtr Piua. Tear B»»k Fr*«.
27-29 Gainsboro Street
BOSTON, MASS.
Established 1901
POLK TUNING SCHOOL
Pioneer school of piano, player-piano and Reproducing
Piano tuning and repairing in the United States.
Complete Courses Taught in Seven to Ten Weeks
Write for terms and literature
POLK BUILDING
VALPARAISO, IND.
get your other valves. These latter are often
overlooked. Rub out flaps and tighten up all
tubing on nipples with tape, or however you
want to do it. The thing to remember on loss
of power is that all these things mentioned
above hold your vacuum together, and one or
several of them can kill it, so go over every
thing carefully and save yourself time and
trouble taking it apart again.
Old British Pianos
"In another article was mentioned an English
piano with the name Smith on it, described as
being small and with a bird-cage action or
overhead dampers. Part of our business here
is in making two trips a year to the Bahama
Islands, where about one-half the pianos are
of English make and the other half American
make, the majority of which are over twenty
years of age. Aside from two Steinway Duo-
Arts, a Knabe grand Ampico, two Steinway
grands and one Knabe, the rest are little Eng-
lish uprights exactly like the one described.
A few recent arrivals are some English up-
rights with bird-cage actions, very small but
with seven octaves. They are very poorly made
and go to pieces very quickly. The old ones
with the straight strung scale hold up fine but
have a very small, tinny tone. All have candle
sticks, as have the German pianos being im-
ported here at present. I would judge the age
of the piano mentioned as forty years at least.
If pianos of this age and type are of any value
to any of your readers I know where plenty
of them are and can get them cheap. We have
at present a little upright about four feet high,
made in Spain, probably the same age as the
English one mentioned that we would sell to
anyone for $30. A woman gave it to us for
nothing to make room for a modern player.
Player and Piano Service in Cuba
"I have purposely written this on three dif-
ferent letter heads so as to give you an idea
how we co-operate with the dealers in giving
service. Our service covers the entire island
of Cuba, and, on the four different makes of re-
producing pianos, we guarantee service at least
twice a year. This is a large territory, and at
present a great deal of time is lost in traveling,
as the stops are far between. For instance,
(Continued on page 14)
KEYS RECOVERED AND REDDSHED
Send Postal for Free Sample
We are specialists in this work, which every dealer and tuner
needs. A l l work done by experts with most 'modern machinery,
and correct spacing is guaranteed.
Replaced keys appear
exactly as when instrument left factory.
PRICES LOW—WORK
GUARANTEED
Send Express or Parcel Post to
Frleld Miller & Co.. 3767 Illinois St., Indianapolii.lnd.
Philadelphia School of Piano Tuning
REPAIRING, REBUILDING AND
PLAYER PIANO ADJUSTING
One of the largest Schools In the Kant
Write for Catalog R
Organized 1914
The V.M.C.A., 1421 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa.
REPAIRING
and Refinishing
Pianos and Phonographs
Write for Detail* and Term*
PIANO
REPAIR
339 So. Waba»h Ave.
SHOP
Chicago
OTTO R. TREFZ, Jr.
Piano Bass Strings
Piano Repair Supplies
2110 Fairmount Ave.
. Philadelphia, Pa.
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