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Anyone planning on attending Westpac in Redwood City?
http://westpac-ptg.org/ http://westpac-ptg.org/
It would be fun to see some Pianoworld friends in person!
My wife Jean and I are teaching a keybushing class, and are manning the registration desk. Be sure to say hi if you show up!

Dear Ryan,

Oh yes..I'll be there, but except for a 90-minute class presentation called 'Inside the Tuning Exam', ain't nobody gonna see my smiling face.

Your's will have to do....fortunately, you have a nice smile!

Respectfully,
Jeffffffffff

Ryan,
I will be there was usual. Looking forward to your Spurlock style bushing method. I do a lot of key bushing but usually with the brass cauls and recently the Spurlock's. I could use a few educated methods for using them as I didn't get the uniform results I wanted. See you there.

Ahh yes! Chained to an exam piano as usual!
I'll have to stop by the exam room and bug ya.

Now I feel on the spot!! I was figuring mostly beginner techs would be interested in the class, but I'm glad a seasoned guy like you is interested too. We're never through learning, are we?

Jean is doing most of the keybushings these days, but I'll be co-teaching with her. Bill Spurlock gave us permission to use his slide show and hand out for the class, and we'll be adding a few ideas of our own.

Part of the value of these classes is the bringing together of so much expertise. Everyone has little tricks and techniques that can make the work go smoother. I'll look forward to hearing some of YOURS David!

Yes, I will be there. I'll be doing one class on my new method of measuring hammer non-linearity. I think I'll also be scheduled for one or two private tutoring sessions.

I'll also be hanging out at the Young Chang/Weber booth.

Del

Awesome, Del! I'm looking forward to seeing the new YC pianos.

Speaking of keybusings...

Is it true that a young Bill Spurlock was in a class you gave "back in the day" about the two-caul method of key rebushing?

Yes. But the original idea was not mine. It goes back further than that. The person who "invented" the technique is Larry Erbes of Portland, Oregon. I refined it a bit and presented a class to the Sacramento Valley PTG Chapter. Bill picked it up and further refined it and made precision tools available to all of us.

ddf

I'd love to go, but I can't afford it this year. Also making the National is iffy at best.

Anyone know when the next WestPac or National will be in southern California? (San Diego would be best for me but L.A. area is fine too - just so long as it's close enough for me to commute back & forth between home (El Cajon, CA) and the convention site. Hotels are just too expensive for me. My first convention was the then-Cal State in San Diego quite a few years ago.)

Thanks for clarifying that Del. By the way, I looked in the white pages and it looks like Larry Erbes is still around. I thought it might be fun to give him a caul, I mean call! He would probably get a kick out of hearing about our keybushing class using a method he invented. I imagine he's getting up there in years.

Couple of years older than I am. And, since you did the birthday cake, you know how old that is!

ddf

Speaking of that cake...We actually bought the appropriate amount of candles but failed to get the proper permits from the fire marshal!

One class that I'm really interested in is the WN&G vertical action replacement class. I'd like to see how it would work in old sticker actions.

Out where live there is no fire marshal....

But, since we had neither hot dogs nor marshmallows, what would have been the point?

ddf

PS If Ryan ever decides to give up piano servicing he can always make it as a baker. That lemon cake was delicious!

I think I'm too lazy to be a baker. I'm just not a morning person. Like playing piano - its more fun as a hobby than a career!

By the way the deadline for the early registration discount is February 13th! So if anyone is on the fence about registering for the conference, do it this week!