I got to spend nearly a week at the QRS factory in Seneca, PA learning how to install the PNOmation3 digital player/recorder system. Mark, Lanny, and Lori were all wonderful instructors and hosts. I got to study with three other techs, Blair, Joel, and Jason, all very bright and contributing to the class. While we learned on a Kawai GL, we did get to see some work on a Steinway, and a couple of Faziolis. Imagine cutting into a $170,000 piano. A full installation could take as much as three days' work, depending on the modifications needed. The technology is very cool. Wifi and internet connected, you can have someone play your piano "live" from virtually anywhere. Pianists can play "remote gigs" from the comfort of their own home on their own piano. You can control the piano from any device on any device, even your Apple watch. With the first year of access included, there is a library of over 12,000 songs available, 3,000 of which stay in your permanent collection. The PNOmation processor can be used with many older "legacy" player systems, even many that are not QRS systems. If you are interested in the QRS PNOmation3, please contact me at 330-801-0089.
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The Piano Technicians Guild will be presenting a technical seminar for piano teachers at the Mattlin-Hyde Piano Co. performance space at Eaton Place in Woodmere. Topics will include helping students select a piano, the home environment, the role of the PTG, and what services are needed when. Please RSVP with me, or Tony and drop me a message letting me know you plan to attend. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you there.
~David Synopsis: You can get your piano tuned twice a year for about $320, or 4 times for about $400. And it will be more in tune throughout the year. Which seems like a better value?
Detail: Changes in humidity and temperature will make a piano go out of tune faster than anything else. In Ohio, that is a problem. I recommend, at minimum, seasonal tunings to keep up with the summer and winter climates. But even then the piano has often shifted so much, 10 to 25 cents or more, it needs a “pitch raise” (or lowering) in addition to the “tuning”. This is an additional cost of about 60%. For round numbers as an example, let’s assume a tuning is $100. That means a pitch raise plus a tuning would be $160, or $320 per year. Of course that also means living with an out of tune piano for much of the year. If one chooses to tune quarterly, just 4 times per year, that would be an additional $80, less than the cost of a single tuning. If keeping a strict A-440 is not essential, the piano can drift a few cents sharp or flat without notice and no drastic pitch adjustments are necessary. I have included a simplified graph to visually demonstrate the difference between semi-annual and quarterly tuning schedules. I have some clients, mostly churches, who use their pianos regularly and want to keep them as close to A-400 as possible. Tuning every other month I can often get a piano to stay within +/- 3 cents of A-440. That is still less than twice the semi-annual cost of $320. We appreciate real pianos for a reason. Finding the tuning schedule that best suits your instrument is one of my obligations. Consider the value of a quarterly tuning schedule and please pick your own appointment time quickly and easily online or call me at 330-801-0089. Clean your piano inside and out. Smoke damage mitigation.When was the last time you had the inside of your piano cleaned? |
David Spondike, Ph.D.Piano Technician, Theorist, Composer, Bassist Archives
September 2021
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