2022 our 25th year online!

Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers (it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

SEARCH
Piano Forums & Piano World
(ad)
Who's Online Now
71 members (benkeys, apianostudent, Bellyman, AlkansBookcase, accordeur, akse0435, Barry_Braksick, 12 invisible), 1,851 guests, and 288 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4
Walkman #3071408 01/19/21 11:27 AM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
My Estonia arrived today.
I love how it looks. The sound fills the room so beautifully compared ro my Petrof upright.
It is terribly out of tune. Should I wait a bit for the tuner to come?



Last edited by Walkman; 01/19/21 11:28 AM.
Walkman #3071444 01/19/21 12:49 PM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
A
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
A
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
Not really, you will need more than one tuning anyway.
It sounds like it has quite good sustain smile I hope there's no serious problem with the pinblock.
Get best tech you can!

Walkman #3071494 01/19/21 03:01 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,306
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,306
"Normally" you wait to get a tuning until the piano acclimates, but in your specific situation get it tuned now and then again once it settles into your home. Then it will take ANOTTHER tuning to get it to maybe star to hold. This is the one that hasn't been tuned in 11 years, right?


I do music stuffs
Yep, I have a YouTube channel!

Current:
1998 PETROF Model IV Chippendale
LEGO Grand Piano (IDEAS 031|21323)
YAMAHA PSR-520

Past:
2017 Charles Walter 1500 in semi-polish ebony
1991 Kawai 602-M Console in Oak
Walkman #3071495 01/19/21 03:05 PM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
I inspected some things in the piano.
The rollers are still in very good shape and are not flat at all.
Hammers have grooves, but not that much, although hammers are dried out a bit and are very hard.
The action says it's from Schwander, probably a German brand.
[Linked Image][Linked Image][Linked Image][Linked Image][Linked Image][Linked Image]

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
Right, actually, the seller was not around that time when I was visiting. Today she said it was tuned some 17-18 years ago.

I have two options for tuning. A local tuner in my town (there's only one) and he is not praised at all. To get a reputable tuner from the capital, who can do regulation, tuning and voicing.
Should I call the local tuner first, just to raise the pitch and then call the good tuner to do the real tuning, regulation and voicing?

Walkman #3071506 01/19/21 03:28 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
D
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
D
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
Schwander was a brand name of the British piano action manufacturer Herrburger Brooks. They went out of business some years ago. Their actions were good, and they were fitted to many high-end pianos. Their other brand name was Langer.

You can see the partially rubbed-out name Herrburger Brooks Ltd on the gold label on your action.

Those rollers looks like new! Something has ben spilled on some of the hammers and shanks.

Last edited by David Boyce; 01/19/21 03:30 PM.
Walkman #3071509 01/19/21 03:32 PM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
A
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
A
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
or just bring it up to pitch yourself
hammers also has almost no wear but they are dirty

Last edited by ambrozy; 01/19/21 03:34 PM.
ambrozy #3071523 01/19/21 04:06 PM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
Thanks for the input. Never thought Schwander would be British brand.

ambrozy #3071524 01/19/21 04:08 PM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
I do not want to mess with my wrench again since I do not have a proper tuning hammer. I guess I'll call the local tuner first, at least the piano will be somewhat well pitched until the good tuner comes.

Last edited by Walkman; 01/19/21 04:08 PM.
Walkman #3071525 01/19/21 04:10 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
D
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
D
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
Originally Posted by Walkman
Thanks for the input. Never thought Schwander would be British brand.

There is a history of Herrburger Brooks here, which explains the relationship to Schwander: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Herrburger,_Brooks#:~:text=Until%201998,%20Herrburger%20Brookswas%20the%20world's%20oldest%20established,was%20later%20named%20after%20his%20son-in-law%20Josef%20Herrburger.

Walkman #3071528 01/19/21 04:14 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
D
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
D
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
Herrburger Brooks grand piano actions have a 'single-wing' repetition spring which is easily regulated by turning a grub screw.

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
Thanks, a nice history, pity they went out of business.

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
I see, that's nice. I am sure the tuner will know this pianos well, since it was the leading concert grand here during Soviet era (together with petrof).

Walkman #3071536 01/19/21 04:32 PM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
I would like to thank all of you for your support and helping me with making the decision. Now that I think, it would have been such a regret of mine to not have taken this opportunity.

Walkman #3071537 01/19/21 04:32 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
D
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
3000 Post Club Member
D
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,202
Originally Posted by Walkman
Thanks, a nice history, pity they went out of business.


Yes indeed. Back in the mid 1980s I attended a great technical class with David Martin, then the Techincal Director at Herrburger Brooks. Their actions went into the finest pianos. But the UK piano manufacturing industry went into terminal decline, and as Japan, Korea and Indonesia gathered pace, they had their own sources for actions. Sadly in the end, Herrburger Brooks was no longer viable.

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
Would have been so great of a seminar. Yes such a pity. Globalization has some great advantages, but so sad stories along too.

The tuner I am planning to call I hope will travel frown He is the only reputable tuner who tunes for concerts. He as he said was trained in Steinway Hamburg for several days too. At least I have two pianos to tune including my Petrof upright. Probably I have to ask around if anyone also wants to have their pianos tuned to make his travel count smile

Last edited by Walkman; 01/19/21 04:53 PM.
Walkman #3071647 01/19/21 09:26 PM
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,573
1000 Post Club Member
Online Content
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,573
Walkman, with an old piano like that, you'll probably save a lot of money (and have a lot more fun) if you try tuning and servicing it yourself. A cheap Miriamsong tuning hammer from Amazon works fine believe it or not, or if you can't get Amazon there, I'm sure you can buy a used one off a local tech. Then Google the Pianometer app made by PW's own Anthony Willey, and for $25 you can get the "Plus" version that will record the stretch for one piano and get a decent tuning that you can touch up any time you want. Also, when you get a tech to look at it the first time, remember how the action comes out and gets put back in. There is a lot you can fix by simply remembering how to do that, plus no need to call the tech when you drop a pencil inside the piano.

Enjoy, you may be about to embark on a great adventure!


Main battle axe: Yamaha N1
Living room axe: 1999 Petrof III
Road axe: Yamaha P515
Office axe: 1927 Kurtzmann upright
Neighbor's axe that used to be my axe: Kawai GL10
R.I.P. axe: Kawai MP11SE
Walkman #3071657 01/19/21 10:11 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,306
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,306
Just make sure you get a real tuning hammer from Amazon. A few years ago I got one, and when it showed up it was 4” long. I’m not kidding. So just be careful in that regard.


I do music stuffs
Yep, I have a YouTube channel!

Current:
1998 PETROF Model IV Chippendale
LEGO Grand Piano (IDEAS 031|21323)
YAMAHA PSR-520

Past:
2017 Charles Walter 1500 in semi-polish ebony
1991 Kawai 602-M Console in Oak
Walkman #3071665 01/19/21 11:28 PM
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
A
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
A
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 526
He tried to do stuff with his upright and it didn't end well, but I think bringing this up to pitch before "fine" tuning shouldn't cause any harm. Not to be mean, he just acted before he thought, I hope he learned his lesson if he decides to work on this piano.

Walkman #3071697 01/20/21 03:13 AM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
W
Walkman Offline OP
Full Member
OP Offline
Full Member
W
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 234
Indeed, indeed.

Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Piano World, platuser 

Link Copied to Clipboard
What's Hot!!
Piano World Has Been Sold!
--------------------
Forums RULES, Terms of Service & HELP
(updated 06/06/2022)
---------------------
Posting Pictures on the Forums
(ad)
(ad)
New Topics - Multiple Forums
New DP for a 10 year old
by peelaaa - 04/16/24 02:47 PM
Estonia 1990
by Iberia - 04/16/24 11:01 AM
Very Cheap Piano?
by Tweedpipe - 04/16/24 10:13 AM
Practical Meaning of SMP
by rneedle - 04/16/24 09:57 AM
Country style lessons
by Stephen_James - 04/16/24 06:04 AM
Forum Statistics
Forums43
Topics223,390
Posts3,349,260
Members111,633
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010

Our Piano Related Classified Ads
| Dealers | Tuners | Lessons | Movers | Restorations |

Advertise on Piano World
| Piano World | PianoSupplies.com | Advertise on Piano World |
| |Contact | Privacy | Legal | About Us | Site Map


Copyright © VerticalScope Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community.