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Colin Nicholson

Hi there I call upon my retired mech. engineer, Harold, to make me special screws/ bolts etc for pianos - he is superb and very reasonably priced. He has made me various grub screws (for German rocker capstans), a hand-turned lyre-stay screw for a Schiedmayer grand (with a huge thread), and allsorts...

Colin Nicholson

yeh, totally agree about the 'una corda' feature. Yes, an acoustic piano just creates loads of lost motion (and bags of tape play), so you get the feeling you are floating in space, but its up to the pianist to "relax" here and takes less pressure off the finger work!!-----but yeh, you can...

Colin Nicholson

A hydroceel is a sealed plastic tube, a bit small in diameter than a sink waste pipe, and has slits cut out of it - its about 3ft in length. Inside are filters - simply completely immerse it into cold bath water, to allow the water to enter the tube - leave it for a few mins, then lift it out & ...

Colin Nicholson

Hi Guys After reading many of the above/below posts, here are my views about digital pianos compared to acoustics. Not naming any specific brand of piano, I myself much prefer the acoustic piano. Of course, back in the 1970's when I started piano lessons, digitals with 'weighted keys' were unheard o...

Colin Nicholson

Yeh, the number suggests around 1983 - so fairly new in piano terms. I might suggest you purchase a hygrometer & temperature gauge to keep an eye on things - you can get them will as a dual gauge - ask your tuner. Humidity should be between 40 - 70% and temperature..... well, as cool as possible...

Colin Nicholson

Yeh, just had a look - and seems OK & prices reasonable. The piano should already be at "Concert Pitch" (or very near) for any Yamaha piano, they hold their pitch well. The tuning after deliver will be a "fine" tuning - sometimes the occasional unison may drift out of tune du...

Colin Nicholson

Everything sounds above-board, and rightly so, the service you expect - and I think you have answered your own questions! Presumably you have checked his 100% status & feedback comments on Ebay? U1 is a good piano - just out of interest, how much is it? and does it include delivery & stool? ...

Colin Nicholson

just some advice.... always expect less than what you paid for it - pianos deteriorate. Book a tuner who will inspect it for you - and maybe incorporate a tuning into the visit - it will sell better in tune (assuming all notes work?) Don't overlook auctions - ring one up, and they may be able to giv...

Colin Nicholson

....... .. and it may also be a simple matter of either contacting the shipping company to count the keys for you, or even contact the seller to count them for you if you have never seen the piano - but most pianos have either 50 or 52 white keys....... sorted!

Colin Nicholson

http://uk-piano.org/used-pianos-for-sale/detail.php?id=3037 Try the above - ?? I wouldn't just think of "Yamaha" - there are loads of good makes out there, and too many to mention. (I don't sell/buy digitals, just teach, tune & restore acoustic pianos). Also depends on how far you want...

Colin Nicholson

oh yeh! depending on how "exact" the records need to be, in fact each key has 2 pieces of ivory on it, (tail & head - joined in the middle), so just double either number.

Colin Nicholson

If its an 85 note piano (A = top note), there will be 50 ivory keys.
If its an 88 note piano (C = top note), there will be 52 ivory keys.

So it depends on how many keys there are, might be best to state 52, to be on safe side, if not sure.

Colin Nicholson

well done! I enjoyed both performances, particularly the G minor by Rach. The Chopin; I used to play this at college and performed it from memory back in 1984. At the start of the right hand, just after the semiquaver rest, I would try and get those semis a little more even? the first few sound like...

Colin Nicholson

The serial number suggests 1906 in the book

Colin Nicholson

Thanks Barrie, I spoke to Graham today, and he has various "polyester kits" & said you need alot of tools etc. - but I can't afford the course just yet, as I'm moving house in 2-3 weeks, but will bear it in mind for the future. I believe Graham was charged about £500 for these guys to ...

Colin Nicholson

I am an "acoustic" person myself, but in the shop I work for p/t, we have an Es6 for sale, and I like them!
I would only buy one for travelling really (restaurants etc), but a good sound and stylish keyboard & good feel to the keys. I haven't tried the Roland, so I can't compare.

Colin Nicholson

Thanks Louise If you send a photo of the mechanism (and the model numbers) , please remove the front board where the music rest is - there will probably be two clips inside, either wooden turnbuckles or metal circular stays - and take a photo of the front of the mechanism & strings (not from the...

Colin Nicholson

It looks very similar to a Challen or possibly a Chappel piano, but difficult to say. Its looks English and seen a few with bowed legs of this make - but can't say for certain. Sometimes if a piano is re-polished & the old french polish is removed, the name (if a stencil) comes off with it, and ...

Colin Nicholson

Nice 1 I'll have a chat to Graham about it. He deals with F&N and I mainly deal with Graham/Phil at Heckschers, but we'll probably have a chat with Steve at F&N? (I think its him?) Heckschers did me a good deal on a bench truck a few years ago, and me and a mate were already in London.... an...

Colin Nicholson

Hi Barrie Yes, always interested about that as most Yamaha/Kawai pianos are that. I went to Kawai, Milton Keynes for 2 days in March, met Michio, Joe Carroll and all the tuners where we did some upright & grand regulation on the K15, K2, and GM10 - however they were a bit cagy about revealing in...

Colin Nicholson

thank you both for that. I had a sneak look on Ebay & Google, and see what you mean about their shape - bit like a window cleaner blade! I did a French polishing course at John Boddy's of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire about 10 years ago, but we were just shown how to French polish onto a pre-pr...

Colin Nicholson

No I haven't got a veneer hammer - would it be best to get one? The veneer has lifted & bubbled (and cracked in places) between 2 - 6cm from the hinge area upwards - all varying in length, and about half the length of the fallboard across is all affected. I have a veneer roller - can you tell me...

Colin Nicholson

Thanks alot Barrie, will try that.

Colin Nicholson

Thanks Barrie. I should have explained better; the veneer doesn't need replacing as such, its cracked in a few places & lifted away near the hinge end, so I hope to just glue it back down. Would it be best to strip off the French polish before gluing & ironing? then re-polish it? I think you...

Colin Nicholson

Hi there, can anyone help out here? I tune & service a customer's Bechstein upright piano regularly (Model 10) and travel 130 miles to the Lake District - then 130 miles back!! - twice a year. The customer was given the piano by a charity, and most of the veneer has lifted & cracked on the r...

Colin Nicholson

Hi Darren I agree with Yoke. When I teach rhythm, it is at first totally separate to playing the piano. A metronome will not correct rhythms for you, nor will it advise you how to count - they are just a clockwork devise to help you to maintain a steady & even tempo. Learning things like dotted,...

Colin Nicholson

DEBUSSY:- I liked this very much - well done. Have you done your Grade 8? In the opening, I liked the tonal sound of the thirds blending, but perhaps try to allow the duplets to have more "breathing space" - I think of them as 2 X dotted quavers, rather than 2 quavers (with a number 2 popp...

Colin Nicholson

RACHMANINOV:- Again, a fairly decent performance - a very demanding piece, and I play it frequently. My only main criticism is that you seem to overdo "rubato" - e.g. when the music modulates to G# minor (dominant) about half way thru the 1st page, it suddenly changes speed? A more gradual...

Colin Nicholson

Hi there! Liszt: I enjoyed this very much - well done. Showed expression and maturity. Just a little "cautious" during the cadenzas! - how is your 4 octave scale playing at high speed? Yeh, these bits need to flow from the tips of your fingers, and perhaps you could relax a bit more? Very ...

Colin Nicholson

you should be able to locate a piano removal company either in yellow pages, or online. I would recommend a recognised firm if the piano is in good condition. Piano Logistics also travel country-wide, based in Milton Keynes (next door to Kawai pianos). When you find one, they may ask you about dista...

Colin Nicholson

Hi everyone

AB just revealed one of my pupil's results for Grade 1 piano - aged 7!!
Stormed the exam with 144 marks - brill!
2 of his pieces (Gavotte & African Dance) & scales got perfect marks
Proud as punch!!

CN

Colin Nicholson

If you have a good relationship with your pupils, and depending on how long you have been teaching them, you shouldn't have any problems resuming tuition with them in a few weeks during maternity. I have 18 pupils myself, and last year went to Australia for 5 weeks - and I well-informed them how lon...

Colin Nicholson

Around 1911 - 1912 for Richard Lipp & Son

Colin Nicholson

oh yes, I know all the likely places for serial numbers. Yamaha also sometimes put an inlaid brass strip into the top inside lid with serial number on, aswell as the serial number on the frame. I have also seen them "engraved" into the pressure bar - far right hand side usually just above ...

Colin Nicholson

if this is the serial number, it is usually stencilled onto the gold frame - each number in black, and about 2cm in height. The serial number is usually inside the piano, near the tuning pins. If the number is "engraved" into the top lid - on the side - and facing upwards, this is the stoc...

Colin Nicholson

Nippon - Gakki S.K.K. were the first manufacturers for Yamaha, so assuming the serial number is correct, it suggests the year 1927.

Colin Nicholson

The name is not familiar, and perhaps unheard of. Many pianos sometimes become a "stencil" - and their original name is removed if the piano has been re-polished, for example. The name on the fallboard does not always guarantee the name of the manufacturer, and in some instances, companies...

Colin Nicholson

Hi I am a piano teacher (and tuner) in West Yorkshire. I would recommend the "Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music" - London. Look on their website for details. You yourself need to register with them (not the pupil) to enter a pupil in for an exam - you are known as the 'Applica...

Colin Nicholson

.......agree with Gill, get a tuner out. One thing they will test (which is v important) is the torque of the tuning pins - a piano with loose or/and partially collapsed wrest pins will be rendered worthless in a few months/years - they will also check out the action mechanism. The tuner should make...

Colin Nicholson

Thanks for that. (Vernon) - the set off rollers are behind the jacks, just above where the bend is - yeh, not easy to see. The "slow motion" movement of the hammer going into set-off is poor on these, and only a few hammers flick back at the set-off point into check. I think the tape play ...

Colin Nicholson

Hi there - is it Jessie? You will need a piano teacher to do the aural tests with you. (I am a piano teacher!) The Grade 1 aural tests come in four parts:- a. Clap in time to a piece of music in 2 or 3 time; then state the time. b. Sing as an echo 3 short phrases - without a pause inbetween. c. To r...

Colin Nicholson

here is a pic of the set off rollers - just started assembling them - they sit behind the jacks, not easily seen when action complete - hope this helps.
Colin

Colin Nicholson

Hi Barrie Hopefully these pics may throw some light on it. Yes, the jack may not have enough clearance when hammer is in check - but then again, most of the hammers don't even check - they don't go back far enough (and aimlessly bounce back). I also had to remove the jack slap rail as it was loose, ...

Colin Nicholson

Cheers Barrie, will upload a pic tomorrow. I've removed the damper rail so action just working "alone" and still problems, Did the Model 8 Bechstein have a jack spring that protruded through a hole in the jack? If so, I remember assembling one once, and had to remove neighbouring parts to ...

Colin Nicholson

Hi everyone - thanks for welcoming me onto this site. Now then, I'm a touch puzzled over this one! I am in the final stages of restoring a 1890's (possibly 1895) Carl Mand HUGE upright - its walnut with a wonderful mahogany centre raised carving consisting of leaves, shrubs, rose buds and baroque in...

Colin Nicholson

mmmmmm.... perhaps you need to decide first whether its a grand you want, or an upright?
For personal taste & touch/tone, I prefer playing Rach on a grand.
How much space do you have????

Colin Nicholson

Hi Bill, I never knew that - I thought that they were passed onto Eavestaff? I remember reading a while ago about the Brasted brothers trying to claim fame for the drop action where hammers come towards you & strung backwards - and they seem a "mixed bag" !! didn't they make aeroplane ...

Colin Nicholson

.... know how you feel, its annoying not finding info. Problem is, is that there is no special book about certain models of piano - most never kept records, and if they did, they never survived. We are sometimes just lumbered with giving out dates of establishment, who took over the company & wh...

Colin Nicholson

Brasted of London don't have their own serial numbers; they were made by Eavestaff (who did mini pianos). I have referred to Eavestaff serial numbers, but your number doesn't match either. They started their serial numbers around 1950, #135000 - so a long way out!! You could try www.piercepianoatlas...

Colin Nicholson

If its helpful to anyone, I can get hold of two kinds of sconces available through Heckschers. They are a bit "pricey" - about £65 + vat + carriage, and come in either a fluted or dragon design. Feel free to email me - I have pictures & dimensions of them on a word doc. - not sure if I...

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