Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding

Arthur A. Reblitz is a registered piano technician and member of the Piano Technician’s Guild. He is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on restoration of orchestrions, coin pianos, and reproducing pianos. His shop, Reblitz Restorations, Inc., has restored automatic musical instruments for many of the world’s foremost public and private museums and collections. Reblitz is known worldwide as one of the finest arrangers of music for these instruments. Other books by Reblitz include Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding, Treasures of Mechanical Music (with Q. David Bowers), and The Mills Violano-Virtuoso (with Michael L. Kitner). He has written articles for The Guidebook of Automatic Music Instruments, Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments, the News Bulletin of the Musical Box Society International, the Bulletin of the Automatic Musical Instrument Collector’s Association, and The Coin Slot magazine. He is the 1982 recipient of the Literary Award of the Musical Box Society for Outstanding Literary Contributions to the Field of Automatic Music and the 1993 recipient of the Leo Ornstein Literary Award of the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association.

• Chapter One — Introduction to the Piano: Styles, Shapes, and SizesAntique PianosVictorian PianosTwentieth-Century Pianos and BeyondPlayer PianosContemporary TrendsElectronic PianosChapter Two — Inside Information: The Names of the Parts and How They WorkMajor PartsCushioning Materials in PianosThe Soundboard and BridgesThe PinblockThe PlateDownbearingThe Tuning PinsThe StringsStringing ArrangementsThe Keybed and KeyframeThe KeysThe KeytopsThe HammersTraditional Wooden Action Parts vs. Composite PartsThe Vertical ActionHow the Upright Action WorksThe DampersUpright Action VariationsThe Console ActionThe Drop ActionVertical Piano PedalsThe Grand ActionHow the Grand Action WorksThe Grand Hammer Rest or RailGrand PedalsGrand Action VariationsThe Square PianoHow the Square Piano Action WorksChapter Three — Evaluating an Old Piano: Is It Worth Buying or Repairing?Selecting a Type and SizeRecognizing QualityThe Importance of AgeGray Market PianosEvaluating the ConditionPlayer Pianos and Empty Player PianosMirror PianosWhere to Find a Used PianoMyths Versus RealitySummaryChapter Four — Cleaning and Minor Repairs: Fixing Worn and Broken PartsSafety First!Basics of Tools and WoodworkingGlue JointsTypes of Glue Used in Piano RepairLubricants Used in PianosModern LubricantsTraditional LubricantsRepairing Loose Screw HolesRemoving Broken ScrewsCleaning a PianoOpening the Vertical CabinetRemoving the Vertical Action and KeysOpening the Grand CabinetRemoving the Grand ActionRemoving Dirt and DebrisCleaning the ActionCleaning the KeysReinstalling the Keys and ActionEvaluating the ConditionThe Wooden FrameThe PlateThe Pinblock and Tuning PinsThe SoundboardThe BridgesThe StringsThe KeyframeThe KeysThe ActionAction RailsFlangesThe Wippen AssemblyThe Hammer AssemblyThe Damper AssemblySluggish Action PartsClicks, Buzzes, Rattles, and Other Foreign NoisesSqueaks of All SortsThe PedalsThe CabinetTaking Care of a PianoProtecting a Piano from Environmental ChangesControlling Insect DamageChapter Five — Regulating: Adjusting the Action, Keyboard, and Pedals to Work as They ShouldBasic Regulating ConceptsDeciding What to do with Worn HammersRegulating ToolsPreparation for Action RegulatingVertical Action RegulatingVertical Regulating Checklist for Quick ReferenceVertical Action Regulating DetailsSpecial Procedures for Spinet PianosPartial Vertical RegulatingPreparation for Grand Action RegulatingThe Grand Regulating BenchGrand Action RegulatingGrand Regulating Checklist for Quick ReferenceGrand Regulating DetailsGrand Piano TouchweightSquare Piano Action RegulatingAction Regulation Problems: Their Symptoms and CuresChecklist of Common Action Problems for Quick referenceIntroduction to Tone RegulatingPreparation for Hammer VoicingHammer VoicingMaking Hammers More BrilliantChapter Six — Tuning Theory and TerminologyMusical Tone Versus NoiseThe Vibration of WireSimultaneously Vibrating WiresMusical TerminologyPiano Note NumbersStandard Tuning PitchWhat Pitches Form the Musical Scale?The Pythagorean CommaThe Temperament OctaveCentsReviewTemperament Tuning TheoryTheory Versus RealityChapter Seven — Tuning ProcedureOverview: What Does “Tuning a Piano” Involve?Aural and Muscular CoordinationWhy Does a Piano Go Out of Tune?ToolsUsing the Tuning LeverTuning ExercisesTuning the TemperamentThe Potter F to A TemperamentThe Up a Third, Up a Third, Down a Fifth Equal TemperamentFinishing the Midrange from C3 through B4Finishing the TrebleFinishing the BassHints for Using MutesFinal Tuning TestsThe Pure-12th Equal TemperamentNon-Equal TemperamentsThe Equal Beating Victorian Temperament (EBVT)Raising the PitchLowering the PitchElectronic Tuning DevicesTuning ProblemsTuning the Back Duplex ScaleTuning a Mason & Hamlin Screw-stringer PianoTuning Two Pianos TogetherTuning a Piano to an OrganTuning a Piano in a Concert VenueTuning Victorian PianosImproving Your Tuning SkillsChapter Eight — Complete Restoration: Rebuilding a Piano in the Shop to Perform and Look Like NewPractical ConsiderationsOrdering Parts and MaterialsRestoration CosmeticsPreparationDisassembling the PianoRebuilding the Cabinet and FrameThe Soundboard and BridgesThe PinblockRefinishing the CabinetThe PlateCompleting the PinblockRestringingThe KeyframeThe KeysReplacing a Set of White KeytopsThe SharpsThe ActionRebuilding the Vertical ActionRebuilding the Grand ActionFinishing TouchesAppendicesOne: Supplies, Parts, Training, and Other ResourcesTwo: Drill Size ChartThree: Ivory RegulationsFour: Baldwin Grand Plate Suspension and Acu-Just Hitch Pins

“Very useful to piano owners and piano service people everywhere… I recommend it highly.”