THE SOONER TUNER
Newsletter of The Oklahoma Chapter 731 of the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc.
February 2008

COMING EVENTS

FEBRUARY – Our Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, February 21st, 8:30 A.M. at Larsen Music at 63rd and Northwest Expressway. The technical will be presented by Dale Probst on voicing vertical hammers.

“Vertical pianos are prime candidates for triage voicing as they normally have had a minimum of attention in this area. This session is designed to show techniques for quick and efficient tone regulation, from one note to the whole compass of the instrument. We will try to show as many techniques as practical in the time allowed and hope to get you to do most of the work with your own hands. A short explanation of when, why, how and for whom will conclude the program.”
Best regards,
Dale Probst

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I started dancing because I knew it was the only way to meet girls. Gene Kelly

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Bob’s computer is sick and the geek doctor has not yet made the house call, but he is doing well and will see you at the next meeting.

Bob Scheer, RPT
Edmond, OK

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You can’t help everybody, but everybody can help somebody. Ronald Reagan

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Tech Tip:
When you are installing new hammers on a grand piano, it is always a good idea to travel the hammershanks before you glue on the hammer heads. Sometimes it is difficult to see which shanks are moving and which are staying in place. Sometimes pairs of shanks move together making the determination difficult. I was installing a set today and also dry fitting the hammers in another section. I usually use a straight edge to align the hammers to the guide hammers. In this case I was using a stainless steel ruler as a straight edge. Without thinking I used the ruler to lift the shanks in the next section to travel them and observed a great phenomenon. The division markings on a ruler make great reference points to see which shanks are moving closer and farther apart. This makes the decision regarding travelling paper a no brainer. You simply shim under the side of the flange that the shank moves toward.

Traveling down the road of life, Norman

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I have chosen work as a reflection of my values. Sidney Poitier

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One Minnesota winter it was so cold we had to cut up the piano for firewood.
The neighbor asked how many cords we got. I said one, and it was flat.
Ba-da-dump
(from some movie)

When tuning for a clock collector, schedule the appointment for 1 o’clock.
(Submitted by Keith McGavern from Pianotech List

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     The great Phyllis Diller
     I asked the waiter, “Is this milk fresh?” He said, “Lady, 3 hours ago it was grass.”
    A bachelor is a man who didn’t make the same mistake once.
    I buried a lot of ironing in my back yard.
    I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford, then I want to move in with them.
    My photographs don’t do me justice, they just look like me.

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I was a 14 year old for 30 years. Mickey Rooney

Sometimes, when business is a little slow or there is a string of lousy pianos, or difficult customers, I find myself thinking, “Wonder what else I could do that would be inspiring and income generating”. Ever done that? Some technicians have done that and branched out successfully into other fields and now tune pianos as personal therapy, but not the main source of income. Some have had great careers and seek something more satisfying, less stressful, with a sense of achievement. To find one’s niche or passion is a very personal quest indeed. We live in a country that provides us ample opportunity and choices to the adventurous risk-taking soul. This is what has made our country great. The hunger that drives us on to better ourselves and increase our income is very healthy and positive. But sometimes the everyday details of business and life cause me to become impatient and unsatisfied, and before I know it I’m unhappy with it all. I realize I must step back and be thankful for what I do have and for the opportunities tomorrow may bring…….Also, looking for ways to practice generosity brings dividends in this life and the next exponentially, but it takes a little practice! There are plenty of people out there who are merely looking to exploit people who give. Some give out of guilt or penance. It is a learned behavior to discern and select our targets wisely with the right motivation, but the effort is well worth it. It brings great fulfillment. Learning how to give when no one else notices but giver and receiver is the key. Lee Marvin said,” I make movies to support my fishing.” Add a generous spirit and thankfulness to that and it brings a dynamic to life that really makes it worth living. Rocket science it ain’t, but it works! As piano technicians we have these possibilities. The bottom line is, we choose the life we live. Choose generously!

President – Bob Scheer
Vice President – David Bonham
Secretary – Jordan Bruce
Treasurer – Gary Bruce
Newsletter Editor – Blane Morris

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