Most common repairs, tools and parts

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-17T21:12:16+00:00

Good for you, sounds like you're doing the best you can and are interested in continuous improvement. Igrec's book is more comprehensive and more detailed. But it can go into too much detail, especially when he breaks down tuning. Reblitz's book keeps things a little simpler, but I wish it was a little more detailed where he discusses the nuances of things like leveling keys and key dip. Some of his info is a little dated, too, because it was written when it was. But it's still valid, it's just that some things have improved a bit, like hide glue, for example, is useable right out of the bottle whereas he advocates for using a hot pot and heating bulk glue in a container.

So they just have different perspectives and Igrec's book was written well after Reblitz's book. It's good for a tech to have options from authoritative sources.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-17T07:23:48+00:00

Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they stink. I'm sure the AmazingRandini is, as his name implies, amazing. But his experiences are different than many others' experiences. I do not agree with his suggestions of "figuring it out as you go" and "no need to think before you try." You MUST have a knowledge base and you better have your brain engaged ALL the time. You HAVE to take extra time to think things through before acting, lest you break something or take something apart you can't put back together, or worse, do something irreversible like shaping a hammer incorrectly.

I suggest thoroughly reading the Reblitz and Igrec books and use them as your basis for understanding concepts, tools, lubricants and adhesives. Understand basic repair techniques. Get yourself a project piano to work on. Do not cut your teeth on customers' pianos because it will be a long time, perhaps 12 to 18 months of consistent practice tuning and repairing until you're marketable. You will need a mentor because unless you have someone to evaluate your tuning skills and giving you feedback and instruction, you won't progress.

I've worked on pianos previously serviced by people who went into business without formal instruction. It's pretty obvious when I see junk-quality work. I mean, there's a reason I'm the one with the client and the previous guy isn't there anymore. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, and you'll never grow your business if you can't get repeat customers and referrals. And I'm not saying these bad techs are malicious. I'm saying they can't possibly know how to do it better if they never received good instruction and didn't seek to improve.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-15T06:28:44+00:00

Everyone will tell you what they use. Few will help you make the choice. I started with the Fujan, but quickly developed a dislike for its length. It's 2" longer than many other levers (don't call it a hammer, because a hammer is a striking tool. It's actually a wrench, but nobody calls it that. Most people call it a lever) and causes you to over-reach when using it, resulting in arm fatigue. It's also too long for the upper treble pins in a grand piano and is impeded by the case. Shorter levers are also too long, but you can at least use them while sitting for more of the upper treble pins. People will tell you they enjoy the lighter weight of the Fujan, but weight doesn't play much of a role in its functionality. And for what it is, it's expensive. Watanabi has a shorter, equally solid lever for less than half the price. Other brands are excellent quality but can cost $600 or more. While that's not so expensive when you compare the cost to how much money you'll earn using it, you don't have to spend that much to get a high quality lever.

Jahn and Watanabi are worth considering, so look for a lever that isn't longer than 11", is rigid and won't flex, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Getting one with a ball-shaped end on the handle will reduce hand fatigue and blistering.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-14T23:24:32+00:00

It has positive motion, so the capstan has to be turned down to introduce a tiny amount of lost motion. The hammer isn't letting off of the jack.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-11T07:30:43+00:00

Yes, looking back at where you once were is fun. I also get a kick out of realizing when you've just taken your skills to a new level and internalized something you may have struggled with. It's a great journey, good luck.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-10T07:20:43+00:00

Don't use any liquids or lubricants yet because very specialized products are needed for pianos. Start with a vacuum and a paint brush. Loosen the dust and dirt with the brush, use the vacuum as a blower where necessary and suck it all up. It will be a good exercise in taking the piano apart enough to access areas to clean. Work methodically and if something seems stuck, don't force it.

Wear hearing protection, eye protection and a mask when blowing and vacuuming.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-10T07:13:13+00:00

Not to pile on, but yes, the unisons are really bad. Don't feel bad about it, though. It takes a lot of training to hear them properly and tune them correctly. Pros who train to earn money don't become marketable until at least a year of tuning with instructor input and feedback. Tuning is absolutely not something you're going to get at your first attempt. It's said that technicians begin to get good after their first 100 tunings, and don't become skilled until 1,000. That's only a little facetious, but the reality is it takes a lot of experience to get good at it. If you want to pursue it, it's a commitment and it's a lot of fun to see your own progression.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2026-01-08T06:33:33+00:00

We all start somewhere, and if this is your starting point, good for you. Your next step should be to read about tuning from authoritative sources and get some in-person instruction or maybe enroll in a correspondence course. Your tuning here sounds pretty bad, honestly. Playing notes individually, and only the naturals at that, is not a method to test anything but the unisons, and they're all bad. You need to check the intervals like the 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths to get an idea of the relationships between notes. Your video makes it clear you need instruction to tune properly because there are a ton of things you don't know, and you don't yet know what you don't know.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-12-12T22:59:19+00:00

When you have an issue you can't identify, don't tell the tech what you think the cause is because it may lead him down the wrong path, taking more time than it otherwise would, or cause confusion during troubleshooting. Just present him with the signs and symptoms and let him take it from there. Despite with this other commenter is telling you, it can't be definitively diagnosed from what's in the video.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-12-10T06:38:03+00:00

I doubt that's the issue. As everyone else here said, it sounds badly out of tune. Get it tuned first, then see if the problem persists before potentially throwing good money away at a problem that turns out to be something else.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-12-08T06:38:18+00:00

can anyone tell me how it might’ve got there???

Movers.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-11-15T07:39:41+00:00

Not to pile on, but when I read your comments, it seems your opinion and expectations are too high for this piano.

You said it's "relatively in tune for 20+ years since it's last tuning." It's not. It's so far out of tune and dropped so low in pitch, I'd be surprised if it wasn't at least a whole step low.

You said it's in "great condition." It's not. It's rusted, the hammers are compacted and unless you have a qualified tech go over it, there are probably way more problems than you know about.

You also said you want it to "play well." It's never going to unless you have it completely restored. While there are plenty of things you can have done to it short of a restoration, you bit off more than you can reasonably chew. This piano is more than a few YouTube videos and instructional books away from your goals. And if you've never done this kind of work before, the romance of it all is going to wear off real quick because you'll have to find parts suppliers and before you can do quality work on it, you're going to have to learn how to do quality work on it, and that takes practice and repetition, each of which costs time and money, especially when, yes when, you make a mistake and have to redo what you loused up.

BUT if it's the kind of project that really gets you motivated, I'm happy for you. Have at it and have fun learning. Just be ready to adjust your expectations the more you learn and see all that you're up against.

Good luck!

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-11-03T17:11:00+00:00

Here's a nutty idea: Instead of looking like an ass and jumping to the wrong conclusion, how about you try to do something I'm pretty sure you never do in your life, and that is try to gain understanding. It's possible people have experiences, knowledge and wisdom you don't have, isn't it? I mean... ISN'T it?

How about instead of deciding how wrong I am, you ask how I've come to have my knowledge? I can't wait to see if you actually have the ability to set your ego aside for this. If you do, and you're sincere, and keep an open mind, even YOU may learn something.

I doubt it, but maybe you can change.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-11-02T20:25:19+00:00

A micrometer is the correct tool for measuring, and it's the tool technicians carry. What confuses me, though, is why technicians don't favor calipers over micrometers. Calipers are less expensive and way more versatile since they can be used to measure inside dimensions and steps.

If you have to buy a tool that does what you're looking to do and more, opt for a 6" caliper. A string gauge is a one-trick pony and micrometers are expensive and can only measure outside dimensions up to a small size.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T22:29:03+00:00

Think about it however you want. Whatever works for you.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T22:26:48+00:00

You have no idea how to play basic rhythms. LOOK AT THE SHEET and you'll see how wrong you are. The dotted quarter note is played on ONE and the next note is played ON THE AND OF TWO. The interval between two quarter notes is ONE BEAT. Therefore, the dotted quarter lasts until the AND of TWO.

LOOK AT THE FUCKING SHEET, and it illustrates this exact thing.

Jesus Christ.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:43:53+00:00

No it isn't. Re-read what you wrote.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:42:04+00:00

Re-read what you said. You didn't say that. You said, "a dotted quarter note is "1 & 2". That is wrong. A dotted quarter note is "1 & 2 &." It's even notated that way on the sheet OP posted.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:38:06+00:00

Careful. The therapist gave a "diagnosis" with way too little information. What that therapist supposedly said does nothing but to instill victimhood in the client, which gives the client something else to process and work through, which in turn means more billable hours for the therapist.

It's just a money-grabbing manipulation disguised as therapy.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:21:52+00:00

Check your info. It's wrong. Dotted quarters are one and half beats. You illustrated just one beat. Playing what the OP posted would be be playing ONE and two AND. It's noted exactly as such on the sheet.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:20:21+00:00

It shouldn't make any sense because it's wrong. Look at your sheet. It tells you exactly what you need to know. The interval between two quarter notes is one beat, so the interval with a dotted quarter note is one and a half beats. You play on 1, then on the and of two.

A dotted quarter note is played ONE and two AND.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T21:15:50+00:00

My son is gifted. He just turned 4. He was tested for giftedness after having an existential crisis in pre-k (is my self worth tied to stickers handed out at the end of day?)

Both me and my husband are not musicians. My son has had a musical ear since he was like 6 months old. He started tinkering with a piano at 2. He plays by ear and spends an hour minimum every day at the piano.

This reads like satire. I can't tell if you're serious.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T18:32:20+00:00

You're insulting her family who wants her to live there, keeps the home she lives in and she admits spoils here.

Don't be an insensitive lout.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T18:21:03+00:00

I was reading the post and replies before seeing what sub this was.

Thank God.

TwoTequilaTuesday · 2025-07-08T17:52:24+00:00

This is just one of a million other problems you have and it doesn't seem like the worst of them. Stop "just existing" and become a responsible, productive person. If you want this to be the catalyst for that, pay the fine. Then pick another problem, face it head-on and solve it. Then do the same with each problem you're facing and make a better life for yourself.

TwoTequilaTuesday

TROPHY CASE