Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Is is OK to spit on a piano?

Two weeks into my first job as a store tech. I've eliminated the majority of obvious mechanical problems with the 40 odd
pianos. Mostly damper wire buzz, key easing, case parts not fitting or closing properly. Now I'm deep in to the tuning and I'm going through the two "concert pianos", used for teachers and their students. One is a Young Chang G-157, the other a G-150. These pianos have not been well taken care of as evidenced by the lack of attention to regulation,(they play like Mack trucks). So after I got the hammers to stop blocking when playing softly, I decided to tune the 157. That went OK. I feel like I'm getting better every time. Now I look at the thing and it looks like it has been mud wrestling with the 150 across from it. I got a rag and some hot soapy water and went to town. Cookies and icing and snot! These don't belong on a piano! 17 hours later, the two Y.C's are lookin' much better. But wait! What's that? Did I miss a spot? Some white paint. Well, that doesn't belong on a piano either. What do I have that takes off paint yet leaves the beautiful black finish? I tried some elbow grease. Not quite effective on its own. Sooooo , I let a little dribble of spitle cascade from my bottom lip onto the rag. A little thought goes through my mind."Is this OK"? Ohhhhh, what the hey! Five seconds later, the paint is GONE! Polished up real nice. Now I gotta find out from the eggspurts, ..WAS THIS OK? IS THERE A BETTER WAY?

LOVE,

ANSON
PTG associate

Anson,

I will never not admit to not having done or not done none of this....clear?

BTW, on the YCs, you might want to check out the action brackets before you do too much regulation. They used a metal compound that contains zinc, which takes on water content and expands. Young Chang does offer free replacement brackets, but they will no longer pay for the service of replacing them or re-regulating them.

I was paid back in April. Have they stopped doing that?

Wow, I've never heard of this before, but I'm sure that my piano tuners and other piano technicians do the same thing. All I say is that if it works and keeps the piano in good shape and lets me play it--then why not?

I respect the art.

Eric,

I guess it depends if the piano is still officially under warranty.

Dave,
What age are the Young Changs with this action bracket problem?

There are lots of pianos over the years that I have felt like spitting on but I resisted. I once had a customer tell me that they had a blind tuner who's guide dog got up half way through the tuning and peed on the side of the piano, hey everyone's a critic!

Anne,

According to informed sources, it started in around 1993 and I think it ended 1999 or so, though some people have mentioned that some of the earlier replacements have had the same problem.

(waaaaahhhh....

Dave,

Thank you for informing me about the bracket problem. I will call about that today. What a great opportunity to improve my regulation skills. About using expectorate as a cleaning solution, I don't plan on making it a habit. What do you pack around with you for cleaning ? Maybe a cleaning kit? The worst is the darn fingerprints on the case and goo on the side of the sharps.
Open to all suggestions.

Anson Everitt
aspiring RPT
PTG assoc.
Logan, Utah

Anson, measure the action spread. The distance from the wippen flange center pin to the hammer flange center pin should be 112 1/2 mm. Anything 114 mm or more is expanding.

Thanks, Dave. I have a customer with a G-185, but I just checked my notes and it was made in 1987.

Only time I spit on a piano is when I drop my fork and try to rub out the ding...

Anson,

To clean keys, I use Cory Keybrite. It works on ivory, plastic, what have you. It claims to be non toxic, and I've had no burning sensations on my hands yet from using it....

Anne,

If there was a problem, the thing would be totally out of whack by now. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Keith,

Thank you for the specs. One of them measured 113 1/2mm the other was 112. The piano that measured 113 1/2mm was the one with the
most problems, and still is. Maybe I'll end up changing that ones brackets.

Dave,

I'm gonna have to get me some of that Cory Keybrite. I've heard the name before.

Sam,

I like your comments. Sometimes they make me laugh. Sometimes they're pretty serious.


Anson Everitt
PTG assoc.

Of course its alright to spit on a piano, especially if the humidity is really low...in fact some people even install a spitoon on them (DC).

Yea, it's OK to spit on a piano if the humidity is low AND ... if the customer has conveniently left the house without making arrangements to pay.

'Course, I'VE never done anything like that!

Now I'm remembering more clearly. I was told Young Chang will pay technicians if the piano is owned by original purchaser, with proof of purchase. The piano I worked on was from about 1990, way beyond warranty, but I was paid anyway.

If you search this forum for "Young Chang action bracket" you'll find information on who, specifically, to contact. Be forewarned, you may have to wait quite a while for new brackets to be shipped to you. I had to wait 3 months...but was told this when I ordered them.

Did I tell this story already? One time, I was tuning this really, REALLY crummy piano. I got all done and a string broke or something, I forget but, it really made me mad I was so ready to get out of there. I threw my screw driver into my tool box to take out my anger. It hit my large, WD-40 can busting it wide open. It "SPIT" alright. It spit WD-40 all over the piano, the floor, the wall, me, my clothes, everything. Luckily for me, nobody was home. They would not have liked what I was saying at that time either.... After calling my dad, he told me how to clean it up but, I can't recall what he said about that now anymore either that was so long ago. Knowing him and his humor, he probably told me to use WD-40!
:t:

Hey Jerry,

Am I to understand that a can of WD40 occupies a prominent spot in the tool kit that goes into a customers house?

That might be the the stuff of "You just might be a TOONER if ..."

Jerry,

Funny story....though at the time, I'm sure you didn't think it was at all humorous!

Did you guys use WD 40 in those ancient times....?

Dave