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Johnkie

My original post was prompted by a collection of videos showing someone working in ways that at first, I thought were complete spoofs. Having realised that this guy was in fact, being serious, I became seriously concerned about how many professional tuner/technicians (mostly on the American piano si...

Johnkie

Thank the Lord that you think the same ....this guy does all sorts of crazy things, and is a regular poster on the American site. At first I thought his videos were some kind of joke, but when the penny dropped that they weren't, I posted a comment stating that I thought he should wear a stetson and...

Johnkie

Just wondering what other feel about encouraging non-trained "tuners". An example of which is clearly demonstrated by following this link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gQ-ZInLsF4

Johnkie

John Ogden was wed to a Brenda; not the same woman was it? (after DM carked it, of course - not suggesting bigamy!) Ohhhh Gill ..... If only all moderators (and posters in general ) had your sense of humour .... I love it !!!!! :lol: :wink: Brenda ...... and now you imply, Big Amy .... :lol: :lol: ...

Johnkie

If Johnkie is about.... wondered if he ever tuned his grands! I had tuition with Denis around 1980 - 1982 and his much-younger wife, Brenda McDermott.... they lived in Jesmond (Adderstone Cresc I think) near Newcastle. Regrettably Denis commited suicide around 1987 on Xmas Day.... poor chap, very e...

Johnkie

I've told you before about using drugs Mark

Johnkie

Colin Nicholson » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:28 pm Just read the previous comments to this, and I think (deep down) & in general, there will always be some form of "negative advertising" on the go.... its only natural (hence, our signatures/ titles/ job description/ years of employment & ...

Johnkie

I can't see why Bill seems to be irked by Mark's observations. I understood that this forum was for the benefit of everyone, and that all that post here, do it without any idea of making money. It does appear that the history section run by Bill, gives a great deal of general information that is hel...

Johnkie

Many congratulations Mark - She's adorable. Good to hear of someone's good news in these terrible times of riots and the like. Enjoy your month off ... but keep us posted on her progress from time to time if you get a moment ot two. Best wishes from Geordie Land (including Co Durham .... NE England ...

Johnkie

Hi Ben - Tricky question ! Speaking as someone who has been in the trade for decades working on a self-employed basis I would find it difficult to take someone under my wing for a day per week. The type of work that a tuner / technician does, doesn't lend itself to do an apprentice justice. Most of ...

Johnkie

vernon wrote:Newcatle on Tyne or Newcastle Staffs?

Great comment Vernon .... Very funny .... love it

There's one in Australia too !!

Johnkie

MarkGoodwinPianos wrote:That's funny. A chap flew over from Dublin today to see my Yamaha U1 pianos.
Have you come across Nial from Piano Centre in County Monaghan yet? He's a nice chap

Geography not your strong subject Mark ? Co Durham is North East England .... not Ireland

Johnkie

Hi Snoot - Is the Petrof belonging to your niece for sale, or are you merely considering the option of buying one of the same make? I ask, because if she is considering selling it, then you would be best advised to get it looked over and tuned so that you have a better idea of it's potential. It's a...

Johnkie

Over the years I've worked alongside fellow tuners that have been blind. Every one that I had ever met was a top-notch master of his craft. They all trained either at a workshop or college for the blind. With the rise of popularity and increased use of Electronic Tuning Devices ... I wonder if there...

Johnkie

That's a relief. But brace yourself for the news that it may not tune up and that the dampers may be beyond use. Play a loud chord, then let go straight away. Does the piano silence itself immediately or ring on? I don't think this is an overdamper Mark - It looks it, at first glance, but if it wer...

Johnkie

Schlesinger was a Russian piano maker located in St Petersburg. Sorry that's all the info there is

Johnkie

......ooh Johnkie!..... let it DROP !! ...... regulation lessons start next week!! Must say just one more thing to you two (Bi-chord!) .... it ain't that much fun being (Single) and may your time together be in perfect (unison). If either of you ever feel like throttling the other (Tri-chord). You'...

Johnkie

What made me guess ? I think it was the sudden drop in the number of your posts ... and just one or two comments I read before your posts went from several per day down to the odd one or two.... one of which ( not your post )I recall clearly stated your name was Kari ..... not Keri :wink: I take it ...

Johnkie

Well well ..... I have a feeling that something like this was happening (really ... honest !) - Without doubt this must be one of the nicest posts ever on the forum. I do hope that Kari doesn't tell you off Colin .... I'm pretty sure that everyone here is delighted to hear the good news, and wish th...

Johnkie

Have been using it for about 15 years got it from the USA at first its far better than graphite as it is white for starters, will not stain if you get it on the carpet or your clothes . Barrie Teflon powder certainly makes big difference - I use it on rollers mostly. A word of warning though ... it...

Johnkie

I can't tell a lie Collin .... yes I have had the odd broken string throughout my 45 years in the trade, so perhaps your method might have saved them too :wink: I merely consider it a little dangerous passing on this kind of advice for non-professionals ... I've seen many cases where pianos have bee...

Johnkie

I'm firmly with Vernon on this one ..... I have only ever used any kind of lubricant on sticking studs, and never on coils or wrestpins. I'm also quite alarmed that a suggestion of using oil be given as advice. Much safer to leave such ideas un-said and left to the skills of the professional who kno...

Johnkie

I'd never dream of causing embarassment to anybody-Bill in particular. No doubt good modern pianos are in every respect much much better-but one can not be denied an "escape"to romanticism through the rich sound these old pianos produce---after all they are a substantial part of piano his...

Johnkie

I do try to remind people frequently that this is a piano HISTORY forum, it's not about keeping up with the modern specifications, or valuation, it's about history. I am not an expert on the classic music aspects, but it seems to me that the whole 88-note thing has nothing to do with the "grea...

Johnkie

I'm amazed, Gill. I believe you - but isn't that crazy, to say nothing of lack of respect for your skills! Only by reading this thread have I ever appreciated the need of quiet for a piano tuner, as I have never had a piano (my parents did but I was never there when it was tuned) and so I was very ...

Johnkie

I have an upright piano by the early 1900's. It has a good sound, iron frame, spruce soundboard, ivory keys, etc. but it has a separate damper action mounted above the hammers, called an overdamper action. My question is... can I change the action by modern action? Thank you. Generally speaking, ov...

Johnkie

Sorry guys ... this is the only photo I have ..... and I've got to come clean and admit it came from a post on the American site. I myself wondered if the contraption attached to the strange big lever to the left hand side was in fact masking a perfectly normal hammer rest i.e honky tonk rail or cel...

Johnkie

Anyone know exactly what this strange arrangement is for ? Can't say that I've ever come across anything like it ..... Not any kind of hammer rest that I've seen, so perhaps it might be something quite different.

Johnkie

Asking me if I'm busy is one thing. That's polite. Telling me who else is busy or quiet is beyond their remit. But like I said I don't remember which company's movers were doing this but it was one of the bigger ones. but that's the piano trade.... They are use to being asked who selling what and w...

Johnkie

Speak to David Fry, he is an ivory expert. 07796 293274 and is based in Kent. I was led to believe that Dave Fry and Bob Pierce were the same person ... I do wish people would fly their true flags ...it would save people having to rely on board gossip, and help others to sift the "good, bad, &...

Johnkie

The polish is extremely light and is buffed off afterwards. It seals the surface and does not dry sticky. I know people who use it on other intruments including stringed instruments and are very happy. You may well genuinely belive this to be so :) but it's no different to cleaning windows with any...

Johnkie

Excellent product for ivory is Renaissance wax polish http://www.picreator.co.uk/articles/3_renaissance_wax.htm Sorry to disagree with you Pianomate, but whilst this wax polish may be perfect for protecting ivory from contamination, it certainly does nothing constructive on the working surfaces of ...

Johnkie

By all means Mark - It's abosolutely fine by me - I't's a pleasure to be able to pass on little tips to people that save them having to fork out their hard earned money. Most customers flinch when I say use Brasso metal cleaner .... The thought of using something that's marketed to clean metal is in...

Johnkie

Thank-you everyone for your replies to my first posting here. But Johnkie, I am terribly upset enough to have damaged my piano keys, and if in reading everyone's advice here I decide that I would feel happier for a professional to come and actually see the keys, then that is my choice. I have noted...

Johnkie

Thank-you - does anyone know a professional near me, in Surrey or surrounding areas? I'm very scared to use anything like Brasso! I feel I've taken a top layer off would it now make them more porous? What a waste of time this post was ! Someone comes here seeking professional advice on how to put t...

Johnkie

I would add that a professional will produce even better results than my aforementioned " proffessional." Sorry to be so penadtic, but that's just me. That's what I said Vernon .... a professional job back at a workshop, but don't we all at sometime or other just give them a quick spruce ...

Johnkie

How about a concert tuning. You wait all afternoon while the famous pianist rehearses with the orchestra--on and on till 7.00 pm approaches.Thereupon, the evening staff pour in and arrange all the rattling chairs etc for the 7-30 performance. That's an art in it's own. I remember one famous penis( ...

Johnkie

Gill, Gill, Gill ..... the best examples yet - Soooooo funny :D but sooooooooooooo true :( It's great to hear that others experience the same things in this business ... After 45 years I was thinking that perhaps I was being a little too grumpy ( with myself that is .....never towards the customer -...

Johnkie

Ooh err Gill - Nasty

Just think of all that milk that has soaked into the woodwork underneath the key tops and gone off !! Still I suppose you could say your piano's keys have been semi-skimmed

or all the music you play has been pastyoureyes.

Johnkie

Dr Owl .... as I have previously said ..... Great sense of humour .... good luck with the cork glue

Johnkie

Putting the shine back on your keys whether ivory or not is not too difficult. As has alreay been suggested, you could get your tuner/technician to take your set of keys back to a workshop and have them professionally buffed. That would restore the shine, but not the mirror finsh. If they are worn a...

Johnkie

Quite right guys .... caged birds are so piano tuner un-friendly ( perhaps it's just a Minor thing or we're too cheep ! :wink: ) - I'd forgotten that 'cause it's been such a long time since I've had to contend with one (thank goodness) :) Flower ladies and cleaners are another example, and all those...

Johnkie

:lol: Hmmm. We can manage almost all of your requirements (perhaps not ABSOLUTE quiet -- isn't that the whole point of John Cage's silent piano piece?) ... the coffee's reasonable though I can't make good tea ... but you haven't mentioned "the Standard Middle-Class Piano". Our new piano is...

Johnkie

So you need someone to tune your piano ... and perhaps have no idea what he/she expects you to do. Here is a guide to help you get the best possible tuning form your tuner. Absolute quiet No washing machines or hoovers No TVs or radios No children playing with their toys or showing you how they can ...

Johnkie

I am completely ignorant of when different actions were made, so thanks for your advice. They are asking 1,500 US dollars or best offer, they say it is in excellent condition (of course). The very best advice any of us can give, is for you to contact a good tuner/technician who is local to where yo...

Johnkie

I have a Bechstein model 9 upright. The damper lift rod is held back by a long metal strip spring which has a thin leather strip between it and the damper lift rod. I identified the squeek was coming from friction between the leather and the damper rod as the latter was raised. As the leather was n...

Johnkie

jaboston .... Please let us all know the outcome .... did you manage to cancel the sale and get your money returned ?

Johnkie

If it plays ok offer him about £40 as it isn't worth any more than that- it is beautiful though! He lied so tell him that- ebay will take him off as a trader! I certainly hope that he doesn't offer £40 pianolove :shock: ..... and perhaps "lying" was more a case of not knowing anything abo...

Johnkie

The description given by the seller on Ebay was way off I'm afraid - It certainly is not either overstrung or underdamped. £230 for a piano of this age and design is nowhere near a bargain. If I were you, I would refuse it on the grounds that the description was misleading, and Ebay would have to en...

Johnkie

vernon wrote:I would date it 1920s.
Keys need a bit of levelling!

Might just possibly be, 'cause the keys don't have the action sitting on them Vernon !!

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