Thoughts on Smoke Stacks
Sometimes I think I was born 70 years too late. 70 years too late to participate first hand in the
Year: 2015
Touchstone to 1956
The Janssen Piano Company of New York made about 160,000 pianos from 1901 until 1964, when it sold
This is your brain
A theory on the learning of complex manual tasks suggests that we need 10,000 hours of practice to
Stieff Rebuild - Refinishing
I expect to have more time for the rebuild in November, after I finish the rebuild of a fine, old
1920's Baldwin Baby Grand Reconditioning
Recent reconditioning of a 1920's Baldwin baby grand included: new key bushings ivory repairs new
Stieff Rebuild – Soundboard Arrival
I am grateful for my customers, and they are taking my time! The Stieff Rebuild is not moving
Stieff Rebuild – Leg Plates
The piano was prepared for its trip to the refinishing shop. It's there now. I anticipate its
Stieff Rebuild - Tear Down
Week 15? Yes. I made no progress on the project for the past 10 weeks. Oh my. Interruptions were a
If a job is worth doing ...
In the 20 years that I lived with my father, how many times did I hear: "If a job is worth doing,
Stieff Rebuild - Gathering Resources
It was a vacation week! Terri and I enjoyed a few days in sunny California, and since we were near
Stieff Rebuild - Keyframe work
Keyframe Work Earlier, I completed woodwork and cleanup on the keyframe. This week, I installed new
Stieff Rebuild - Radial Arm Saw upgrade
Key work I had considered doing ivory repair on this piano, but in the end I decided that there
Stieff Rebuild – Keyframe Preparation
I completed some more work related to the key frame, and the mind is spinning with plans for the
New Musical Fun
Once a barbershopper, always a barbershopper? It could be. A new barbershop chorus formed in Davis
Stieff Rebuild - the Beginning
New WNG parts for the action were ordered two years ago. The three photos in the sequence here
Sing or Dance - A Linguistic Distinction?
In his book, "This is Your Brain on Music", Daniel J. Levitin an describes interesting aspect of
A new life for Stieff 28334
Charles Stieff Grand Piano 6'2" (1911) I purchased the Charles Stieff grand in 2005. It was this
Pulling balance rail pins
The right tool for the job isn't always obvious. Requirements: - pin should come out straight - no
Reveille
This morning, I got up at 5:20 am, then went downstairs to practice jazz improv for an hour at the
Adjustable Action Model - Grand Piano
As I prepare to do a complete action replacement on my 1911 Steiff piano, I wanted to be as
Boring an upright hammer
This video shows a field repair technique for boring an upright piano hammer for shank replacement.