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Spring-Summer 1998

We welcome you to another issue of our school newsletter. It is sent a twice year at no charge to students, friends of the school and interested persons in the piano industry. If this is your first issue, and you would like to be on our mailing list, please call, write or email the school so you will receive future issues.

In This Issue

Page 1 Celebrating 11 Years of Training Competent Piano Technicians for the 21st Century

Page 2 1997 PTG Annual Convention & Technical Institute in Orlando, Florida

Page 2 www.pianotuning.com / rpotter@bendnet.com

Page 3 Intermediate and Advanced Training Seminars, June 18-25 at Northwestern College, St. Paul, MN

Page 4 Bits & Bobs

Page 5 Manufacturing Minutia / Industry News

Page 8 Tool Corner

Page 10 Student Stories

Page 10 Join e-pianotuning!

Page 10 Note New Phone Number! (503) (541) 382-5411 and Office Hours

Page 11 Telephone Problems

Page 11 Randy’s Travel and Teaching Schedule at Upcoming PTG Conventions and Seminars

Page 12 Randy’s Travel and Teaching Schedule at Upcoming PTG Conventions and Seminars (continued)

Celebrating 10 11 Years of Training Competent

Piano Technicians for the 21st Century

Of course, if you have been around very much you may know that Randy was teaching apprentices, one-on-one, for about ten years prior to writing and publishing the course and setting up this school. But our first courses were shipped to students in April of 1987, and since then we have become the largest school in the world teaching piano technicians. We have students and graduates in over 70 countries, and have gained world-wide acceptance as a competent way to learn piano technology.

We had a real celebration at the 40th Annual PTG Convention in Orlando, Florida, last summer. We put out a basket for business cards, and gave away 10 new Schaff 21C rosewood tuning hammers, 10 Randy Potter School shop aprons, 10 copies of How to Buy a Good Used Piano, 10 copies of Ken Burton's new book Different Strokes, a Sanderson Accu-Fork, a Sanderson Beat-Rater and a $200 certificate on the purchase of a new Accu-Tuner. Though these drawing prizes were available to students and non-students alike, about half went to students - primarily because students had received early notification of the event, deposited their cards in the basket early. At the 1999 PTG Convention in Providence, Rhode Island, we will have another little contest, just for students this time. We will be giving away 10 more items; five school shop aprons and five copies of Ken Burton's excellent book Different Strokes, which we recently added to our course.

At the same time, we are having a Name Our Newsletter contest. There will be a special prize for the winner of the Name Our Newsletter Contest - a Genesis Keytop and Keyfront Resurfacing Jig. Also, all who send a suggestion for our Name Our Newsletter Contest will be eligible to win other prizes drawn at random.

You can enter this drawing by writing your suggestion, and sending it to us by mail, or by sending your suggestion via e-mail to rpotter@bendnet.com, or from our web site at www.pianotuning.com. Subject title should be: Newsletter Contest. The Name Our Newsletter Contest ends July 12th. We will announce the winners in the next newsletter, and on our web page.

1997 Annual Piano Technicians Guild Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida

As we prepare to mail this newsletter the 1997 Annual Piano Technicians Guild Convention and Technical Institute is history. Several significant things happened this year you may be interested to know about.

First, and most important I think, several of our students/graduates took and passed their final examinations to become Registered Piano Technician members of PTG. The first to pass were Alan Hoekelman of St. Charles, MO, and David Vanderhoofvan of Joplin, MO, both of whom came by our booth in the Exhibit Hall Thursday wearing the stunning red "New RPT" ribbons on their name badges. I am not sure who was more proud; they are I. An interesting note is that Alan was a recipient of PTG Foundation Scholarship last year, which provided his registration to the convention last year and paid for him to take one of his exams. He took, and passed, his Technical Exam that trip. This year he only had to pass his Tuning Exam to complete his RPT requirements. David, who is a graduate of our, and a 1995 graduate of our Intermediate Training Seminar, had previously taken his Technical Exam, and only had his Tuning Exam to complete. Another student, Ivan Svenda of Winipeg, Manitoba, Canada, had previously taken and passed his Written Exam, but had both the Technical and Tuning Exams to complete this week. Not only did he complete them both, but he passed his Tuning Exam aurally with all scores over 90% - meaning he passed at the Certified Tuning Examiner lever. There are several important ramifications of this. First, he was asked to become a Certified Tuning Examiner and, when he agreed, his examination fee was refunded. Second, Ivan is a charter member of the newly formed Winipeg Chapter (the chapter being ratified at PTG at this year's Council only a few days before), and once a certified CTE will be the only CTE in the chapter. And third, he is the first member to upgrade to RPT in his chapter. Ivan attended both our 1995 Intermediate and 1997 Advanced Training Seminars. John Keane, who had recently attended our Advanced Training Seminar, also passed his RPT Tuning Exam in Orlando.

Second, we had our 10th Anniversary Celebration in Orlando, already noted above.

Third, there were at least 25 of our students present at the convention. Many came by the booth and "signed in", but there were others who did not sign. Sunday afternoon, after classes were finished, some of us went to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, and I met another student who had not come by the booth and signed in, Julie Casa. (We stayed for the launching of a Titan Missile at 9:15, which was a special ending to the day, and the convention.)

Fourth, Bob Mair of Dampp-Chaser products, awarded Randy what he calls "our Man of the Year Award" from Dampp-Chaser products. Specifically, the award commends him for outstanding service to our industry in the area of humidity control as it relates to piano care. (I am honored.)

Fifth, and I will make this the last one, though there were many other important things that happened at the convention. Randy was asked to Chair the International Relations Committee for the second year. He will be working with PTG members and potential members throughout the world. One of the current projects is planning the 1999 PTG Tour to the International Association of Piano Builders and Technicians (IAPBT) biannual convention, which will be in Hamamatsu, Japan, May 29-31, 1999. Planned factory visits will include Kawai and Yamaha in Japan, Samick and Young Chang in Korea, and a couple makers (yet to be determined) in China. If you have any input for this committee, please let him know.

www.pianotuning.com / rpotter@bendnet.com

I have to tell you, I was not at all in favor of "email" a couple years ago, but finally decided to get an email account, primarily so I could answer student questions over the Internet. Our email address is rpotter@bendnet.com.

We can also be reached directly through our new Web Site at www.pianotuning.com.

We are in the process of putting our catalog on our Web Site, and as I write this newsletter the our new catalog and other material are being put online. Several of them are in color (or will be by May 1st). Our site also includes our Intermediate and Advanced Hands-On Training Seminar brochure, this newsletter, "hot links" to piano manufacturer’s web sites, important industry sites, and other interesting sites you might like. Beginning in May we will also have Tuning Tip of the Month and Technical Tip of the Month pages (changed monthly), and a list of many Loaning Library tapes available for students' use, and books available from Potter Press. You will be able to learn all about the Sanderson Accu-Tuner, including the new SAT III, and even order an Accu-Tuner online. (Dave Swartz, one of our graduates, and also one of our Technical Advisors, put this site together for us. Thanks, Dave.) We plan to keep the site updated with future newsletters as they are published, and other timely information, too, including Randy’s teaching and travel schedule.

A listing of video tapes currently in our Loaning Library will soon be added to our Web Site. New additions will be highlighted in the site as they are added.

If you have Internet access, you can look at, or download and print out, anything on our Web Page anytime. If you do not have your own computer, or access to the ‘Net through a friend or relative, you can still make use of this service. Most public libraries have computers nowadays, and most have Internet access. While some charge a small fee for its use, most offer at least some free time without charge. The librarian will be pleased to show you how it works. And with more and more people gaining access to the ‘Net (now you can even do it through your television!) you are sure to know someone who can "pull up" this information for you.

P.S. While I only download and handle my mail a couple times a week, I do my best to answer student questions as soon as possible; often within a day or two. If you request it by email , I will send you the "codes" which will put your questions at the top when I do get my mail. To get the codes, send your request to rpotter@bendnet.com, and put "Student Codes" (without the quotation marks) in the subject section.

Plan Now to Attend Our 1998 Intermediate and Advanced

Hands-On Training Seminars, June 28-July 5 at Northwestern

Students attending our first ATS seven years ago thought it was an excellent training seminar, and well worth their time and investment. Those attending in later years felt the same.

Sixteen students attended our 1996 ITS/ATS, and in 1997 we expanded it to include 20. To assure the personal aspect of this training, we will continue to limit our student-to-instructor ratio to 5-to-1 maximum.

Our first ATS was held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1991, as was our third in 1994. Our second ATS, as well as all later seminars, was held at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

At the ATS "students" participate in personal, one-on-one, hands-on training in high level grand regulating and tuning techniques. I put "students" in parenthesis because while some are rather new students, most are already practicing piano technicians; some for over 25 years.

The week-long personal, intensive tuning and regulating seminar is designed to take you from where you are toward the goal of becoming a more competent piano technician. In short, the purpose of the Seminar is "to put what is in your head into your hands"; and past students say we have been successful at doing that.

In 1995 we added something new - an Intermediate Training Seminar. Technicians attending previous seminars had experience levels from less than one year to 25 years. Several have been Registered Piano Technician members of PTG, and each year a few have been pretty much beginners. Students have come from the U.S. and Canada, from as far away as Alaska and California, New Jersey, Maine and Florida, several foreign countries and as close as greater Minneapolis, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The Intermediate Training Seminar is designed for less experienced technicians, especially those who have not yet completed our home-study course, or have been tuning less than a couple years, or maybe longer but on a part-time basis, and have limited training and experience regulating pianos - especially grands. Many students who wanted to attend a hands-on seminar have said they felt they were "not good enough" to attend our Advanced Training Seminar. Others have said they did not feel they were far enough along to attend anything with the word "Advanced" in it. And we have realized the past five seminars that some of the students who attended the Advanced Training Seminar were, in fact, more "beginning or intermediate" than "advanced". This has never posed a "problem" for us at the seminar, because of the large amount of individual, one-on-one hands-on work we do with each attendee, but the name change helped some students feel like it was "for them" also.

The Advanced Training Seminar is designed to take a fairly competent technician and hone their skills, giving special attention to helping them refine their tuning and develop high level grand regulation skills. The Intermediate Training Seminar, which will be held at the same time and sharing the same instructors as the ATS, is designed to take a student or less experienced technician and help them "jump-start" their business, so to speak. Because we can work with each student at their own level in each facet of their training; one student may have tuning skills at a more advanced level, but their regulating skills may be at a more basic level and another technician may have just the opposite skill level. Each receives the training they need, want and desire to enhance their skills and help them improve in both skill and confidence.

This year we will have more, and enhanced, hands-on repair classes. These will include key rebushing, keytop replacement, action repining and repair, and string replacement, to name a few. And because we will have Dave Swartz' rebuilding shop at our disposal, there will be opportunities for other training as well. Advanced students will have the opportunity to spend a second day at Majestic Piano's rebuilding shop, learning about piano restringing, action part geometry and replacement, and other more advanced rebuilding topics.

We will have specialized seminars, such as touch-weight analysis and problem solving, that attendees can choose to participate in - or receive additional tuning tutoring instead.

At Northwestern, technicians will work with a wide variety of pianos, including various makes of console and studio upright pianos, plus smaller Howard grands to larger Mason & Hamlin A and Steinway B (7') and D (9') concert grands. All attendees will get a chance to tune on a Steinway D.

Our instructors for 1998 will be: Tom Cobble, R.P.T., one of our Technical Advisors and a concert technician in Richmond, Virginia (and Tom recently became service director for Jordan Kitts Pianos in Richmond, VA); Dave Swartz, R.P.T., one of our graduates, a Technical Advisor of our school, rebuilder and also the piano technician at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ward Guthrie, R.P.T., also one of our Technical Advisors and a concert technician in Montana, plus Randy Potter. Instructors at previous seminars have included Jim Coleman (who is taking a break) and Danny Boone (whose idea it was to incorporate a hands-on training seminar into our curriculum). All instructors are Registered Piano Technician members of PTG, serve as college and university technicians, have taught at regional and national PTG conventions and are well-known teaching technicians.

Access is easy from the Minnesota-St. Paul International Airport.

Please call the school for a current Intermediate Training Seminar/Advanced Training Seminar brochure and application form - or you can download it from our web page at www.pianotuning.com.

Bits and Bobs

John Macklin, one of our students in Jacksonville, Florida, attended the Florida State Convention this past spring. Seems he won the drawing prize of $100 from Bill Spurlock of Spurlock Specialties. Congratulations.

Another of our students found an interesting way to finance the cost of his course. On a recent vacation trip, he saw his first slot machine. He had never played one before, but decided to put in a quarter - and he won $1,000! He had already purchased the first shipment of the course, and used the money to get the balance of the course. (Sounds like a good use for "found money" to me.)

Thanks to Dick Beaton (Helena, MT), Ward Guthrie (Bozeman, MT), Stan Neff (Scott's Valley, CA), and Dave Swartz (Rosemont, MN), Pat Neeley (Susanville, CA) and some other unknown person who recently gave me actions to disassemble for parts to put in student kits. Stan, one of our graduates who has become a friend over the years, dropped the parts off at the school on his way through on vacation this summer. Ward, one of our Technical Advisors (who just happens to be PTG Pacific Northwest Regional Vice President), Dick Beaton and the other, unknown person gave me actions in April of last year when I was in Montana to teach at their Annual Conference. Dave was out to teach at the Pacific Northwest Regional Conference this spring, and said he had three boxes of grand action parts for us, so we sent a UPS Call Tag for pickup from his rebuilding shop, Majestic Piano. Pat was working for a dealer who was going to throw out a piano, and she talked him into letting her remove the action parts and send them to us for our students. These are some of the ways we get the action parts from older pianos we put into student kits, so you can work on them. Thanks to you all.

If you have action parts you do not need, and would like to see our students put them to good use, please call the school, and we will be happy to send UPS to pick them up. (We need the box weight when you call.)

Scientists have found that within the "non-musical" population the left ear is better at recognizing melodies than the right ear; however, the right ear in trained musicians is superior.

I also learned that in right-handed people, the middle fingernail of the right hand grows fastest. In left-handed people, the opposite holds true. (Seems now there is a way to tell if your kids are going to be right- or left-handed before it becomes evident to the rest of the world.)

And that our nostrils switch on and off every three to four hours, so that one is always smelling and breathing while the other closes down and rests. (And here I thought it was just a stuffy nose.)

(Those from the May 1996 issue of Have a Good Day.)

I also heard a good piano joke the other day you might enjoy:

Seems there are a lot of people willing to carry the piano bench when there is a piano to be moved.

Manufacturer Minutia / Industry News

If you have been trying to contact Daewoo Piano Co. for some reason - such as parts or service - don’t bother! They went out of business and filed for bankruptcy in the United States.

The Dec. 1995 issues of Music Trades and Musical Merchandise Review both reported a $13.62 million court judgment awarded to Vern Schafer of Los Angeles (ala Schafer Pianos and Colton Piano Company) against Daewoo, a Korean conglomerate. It is said to be the largest settlement in music industry history! But as of yet I do not believe they have collected any of their money.

Vern Schafer operated a chain of piano stores in the LA area under the name Colton Piano Co. Daewoo is a manufacturing giant who also produced pianos under various names. The story is long but here is a summary:

Schafer contracted with Daewoo to produce pianos under the name Schafer & Sons in the early 1980’s. He then set up other dealers to sell Schafer & Son pianos. Schafer put up a $5 million guarantee for the pianos being produced at Youjou, Korea. By late 1991 Schafer had run up a $4.0 million debt at Daewoo, who then sued Schafer, so Schafer filed for Chapter 11. Schafer countersued Daewoo, claiming the pianos were poorly built and not salable in the U.S. market. (This was no surprise to technicians, who had been claiming this for years. You only had to service one to figure that out.) Schafer claimed Daewoo began liquidating his inventory and then sold pianos under his name without his permission. The jury sided with Schafer, stating Daewoo had "willfully defrauded him and destroyed his business”.

The Orange County jury awarded Schafer $3.62 million compensatory damages plus $10 million in punitive damages. Daewoo lawyers state this is an aberration and a miscarriage of justice.

Since Daewoo filed bankruptcy in the U.S., Schafer’s chance of receiving a check in the near future are pretty slim.

Moral of the story? Next time someone asks for your opinion on whether or not they should buy a cheap, no-name brand piano, because "the price is so good" - remember Daewoo. As in most of life, "you generally get what you pay for". John Ruskin is quoted as saying "there is hardly anything someone cannot make a little cheaper, and sell for a little less money - and the person who considers price only is this man's lawful prey".

Kimball Piano and Organ Company (who has not made any organs for a number of years) discontinued the production of grand pianos in 1995, and of vertical pianos at the end of 1996. However, Kimball did not go “bankrupt”.

Kimball is part of a large conglomerate, Jasper International, and the Piano Division is only a small part of this large, international corporation which also owns the Bšsendorfer Piano Company in Vienna, Austria. I visited the Kimball plant in French Lick, Indiana, two years ago (time flies), when I was making a cross-country trip between teaching at the New England/ Eastern Canada Regional Conference in White River Junction, Vermont, and teaching at the Central West Regional Seminar in St. Louis, Missouri, the following weekend. At the time of my visit, they were finishing up what was to be the last of their grand pianos. The area of the factory that was formerly used to build pianos, and store them for delivery, had changed dramatically since my last visit in 1989. At that time they were producing 80 pianos a day, including 8-10 grands, and at my last visit they were producing 25 or 30 a day - all verticals.

That doesn't mean the factory is out of business, though. They are working full-time making things. Office furniture is one of the company's fortes. And they make piano cases for at least one foreign piano manufacturer, for their U.S. assembled pianos. In recent years they have also secured contracts to build cases for many other products, including RCA TVs and stereos, a large speaker manufacturer and even Brunswick pool tables. What I saw in the factory was a lot of people still at work, and perhaps it was even busier than before - only they weren't making pianos. In fact, according to a company letter I read recently, the reason for discontinuing piano production was to increase production in other, more profitable, divisions. Can’t blame them for that. They are a stockholder company, and the stockholders are more interested in them making money than making pianos.

In a sense, though, Kimball is still producing pianos, since they sold the piano making equipment from their Renosa, Mexico factory, to a Chinese company, who is now using it to make pianos.

Kimball maintains their piano service division in French Lick, and will continue to honor all warranty service needs. If you have service questions about Kimball pianos, call the factory at 800-422-1611 and ask for Roger Weisensteiner.

Kimball’s Last Piano

And speaking of Kimball Pianos, we have the last two pianos produced in the Kimball Factory. Well, actually we have the last piano ever produced, and the last “as-yet-unfinished” piano. We have the strung backframe, keybed, action, trapwork and all the case parts. Sometime during the next year (probably September or October 1998) we plan to have a week-long work session, during which we will “finish” the “The Last Kimball Piano” - and record it on video. If you would like to be part of this piano building project, write the school and say so, or send us an email message titled “Last Kimball Piano Project”. It should be both a fun and a learning experience for all.

And in case you were wondering, yes, Mason & Hamlin is "back in business". As you know, the Mason & Hamlin factory closed in December 1994, and its owner filed for bankruptcy in January 1995. The court soon took over the matter the allowed the pair of Peter Murphy and Wolf Flippen, rebuilders and owners of Premier Piano, permission to take temporary possession of the property and remaining materials.

However, in the end Music Systems Research (MSR), of Sacramento, CA, manufacturer of PianoDisc, acquired of the company’s assets. The decision ended over two years of legal battles between the previous owners and creditors. MSR/ PianoDisc is now ranked as one of the world's top music companies by Music Trades Magazine.

Music Systems Research co-owners, Kirk and Gary Burgett, who were present for the hearing, and said “We will manufacture the pianos with the same high standards that made Mason & Hamlin one of the most prestigious piano manufacturers in the world."

They plan to continue production of pianos in Mason & Hamlin's Haverhill, Massachusetts plant. The factory is producing Model 50 Professional Uprights, Model A (5’8”) and BB (7’) grand pianos. Plans for the production of Knabe, Sohmer, George Steck, and Falcone piano lines are being discussed. "With the recent exit of Kimball from the piano business, we have an opportunity to fill several gaps in the marketplace. In addition to pianos in the high end, we can also start manufacturing a low-end line to meet consumer demand," commented Music Systems Research Executive Vice-President, Tom Lagomarsino. "Production of pianos to support the PianoDisc player product is another of our goals."

For more information you may contact: MSR/PianoDisc at 916-567-9999. Fax: 916-567-1941.

A recent report noted that Steinway & Sons pianos had their best year ever in 1997! Many other manufacturers report the same thing. Piano sales are up not only in the U.S. but around the world, especially in emerging markets.

And in the Musical Chairs Department:

Don Mannino became Manager of Technical Support for Kawai as of October 1, 1995. He was National Piano Service Manager for Young Chang for a number of years. You may recall that this was formerly Ray Chandler's position. Ray is still with Kawai, and is now Director of Concert Services, a new position.

Phil Glenn, formerly of the Yamaha Piano Service Department, has become National Piano Service Manager at Young Chang America. Phil officially took over his duties as of December 1, 1995.

Richard Elrod, one-time technical director at Wurlitzer, and more recently of Samick, retired as of December 31, 1995. We wish him well.

Samick Piano has a new Piano Service Manager. Dean Garten, formerly in the piano service department of Yamaha, and one of their Disklavier training technicians for the past several years, became Piano Service Manager at Samick January 1, 1996. Dean worked along side Richard Elrod for several months prior to Richard's retirement.

Stan Kroeker, formerly the piano service manager for Loewen Pianos, who were the Canadian importers of Samick pianos, is back in the private piano service business. When the long-time Samick-Loewen import agreement expired, Samick took over this aspect of their business. So Stan returned to "private life", so to speak, and has already developed a thriving business. "I missed the Yellow Pages by one month", he said, "but did not seem to have any trouble building up my clientele again." This says more about his reputation for quality service, I suspect, than anything else.

Loewen, now located in Vancouver, B.C., is importing (into Canada) a Chinese piano, under the name Steigerman (a name which has formerly appeared on both Yamaha and Samick pianos in past years).

Franz Mohr has retired from Steinway & Sons, but can still be seen at most major PTG events.

Because of a 40% growth in sales in each of the last two years, Geneva International, the parent corporation of the makers of Petrof and Weinbach pianos, recently announced a major expansion of its Dealer Support and Technical Services Division. As part of that project, they named Alan Vincent, to the post of Director of Technical Services. Alan, has served in similar posts for both Baldwin and Young Chang, and was most recently production supervisor at Baldwin's Chickering Grand Piano Division. Alan can be reached at 800-533-2388, or via FAX at 847-520-9593.

John Travis, celebrated author of “Let’s Tune Up” and “A Guide to Restringing”, and PTG Golden Hammer Honoree, passed away about a year ago.

And there are some changes at Yamaha, as well. Bill Brandom is Piano Service Manager. Greg Frank remains in the piano service department, and Steve Pearson has joined the department. Lloyd Whitcomb has left the piano service department, moved to Arkansas and re-started his piano service business there (though he still appears at Yamaha's Buena Park facility from time to time). LaRoy Edwards spends most of his time at his store in Santa Cruz, but is still one of their regular convention instructors. Terry Niimi, formerly an instructor at Yamaha’s school in Hamamatsu, has come to their Buena Park facility and is teaching classes at PTG and Yamaha conventions and seminars. Bass Maki, secretary for the piano service department from the beginning, has retired. Rhonda Kahle-Geukens has moved over to another department, so you won't be talking to her too much on the phone in the near future.

We wish Bill Brandom, Ray Chandler, LaRoy Edwards, Greg Frank, Phil Glenn, Dean Garten, Rhonda Kahle-Geukens, Stan Kroeker, Don Mannino, Terry Niimi, Steve Pearson, Alan Vincent and Lloyd Whitcomb the best in their new positions. And we wish Richard Elrod, Bess Maki and Franz Mohr a long and enjoyable retirement.

The SPRING/SUMMER 1998 edition of the Music Product Directory, Acoustic Piano Edition and Electronic Keyboard Edition have recently been published, and I received mine in the mail. These are the books that list every piano that is made and/or available in North America, including all of the models they produce, technical data including height or length, soundboard construction, square inches in the soundboard, number of pinblock plies, length of the longest bass string, country of origin and, most important, perhaps, the manufacturers' suggested retail price! This makes this book very useful for advising clients whether the piano they are considering purchasing, whether new from a dealer or used from a dealer or private party, is properly priced. It also assists us in doing valuation appraisals, and helps prevent the potential of under- or over-valuing an instrument (especially important if it is an insurance valuation or a loss appraisal).

A recently added, and very useful, feature is their Price Point Comparison section, which lists pianos from least expensive to most expensive by size and type. This section gives a quick overview of size and price data.

Now, you may ask what do I do with the Electronic Keyboard Edition, since we don't buy, or sell, keyboards? And since we never have. But the guide is very useful in answering questions of persons considering buying one - especially when I can give them the real suggested price, and take the opportunity to mention that, if they must have one, they consider buying a used one, about a year or so old - since dealers I know tell me that an electronic keyboard generally looses at least 40% of its value the first year, and as much as 60% within two years. And that even dealers who sell them will not take them as trade-ins, or give much in trade-in, either on another keyboard or on a real piano, even if they purchased it from that store - because they devalue so quickly - whereas the same dealers will usually give full value for what someone pays for a piano from their store when they trade up to a larger or more expensive piano. And that instead of depreciating in value, a piano usually recovers its purchase price in five to ten years! (I also suggest they call the same store, pretending to have a year-old keyboard of the same make, and ask what it is worth to trade in on a new one.)

Yes, I do get calls from people who lost one in a fire or flood (some people just get lucky) and the insurance company is going to pay them full value. The Electronic Keyboard Edition is useful for this. Dealers, or technicians who buy, sell and trade used instruments, or those who do appraisals (which you get paid for), really need to have a copy of this.

They also have a Discontinued Keyboard Edition available.

For more information, call Dan Kobida at Ancott Associates, 513-772-2282. Or write him at P.O. Box 46532, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45246. When you call or write, say "hi" to Dan for me. He's a real nice guy.

"No", to all of you who have called and asked if Pacific Piano Supply has gone out of business. They have moved their business several times in the past couple years, mostly thanks to recent activity along the San Andraes Fault Line (i.e. earthquakes). Their current numbers are: Phone 818-779-1586. FAX 818-779-1354. Address 16153 Leadwell Street, P.O. Box 8419, Van Nuys, California 91406. Call 'em and say "Hi" for me, too. (P.S. They have a new catalog, too!)

Joe Gay is Operations Manager at The Keyboard Corporation, also known to many of us as Keyboard Carriage. "The Key to Fine Tuned Transportation" is their motto. Contact them at P.O. Box 625, Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701. Joe invites all piano technicians to stop by if you are in the area, and look over their operation - including their safe and dry piano storage facilities. (And just in case you are wondering where you know the name Elizabethtown, KY from, this is where Mapes Piano String Company makes their home, as well.) You may call Keyboard at 502-737-5797.

Tool Corner

Newest Accu-Tuner Dealer

We became an Accu-Dealer about two years ago, and are able to provide all services to our students, and non-students. You can order your SAT I, II or III directly from the school, have it programmed “Randy’s way” and still receive it direct from the factory. And when you do, there are several benefits available to you not available elsewhere.

We will soon have a link to Inventronics Home Page on our web site, and you will be able to order your SAT directly from your computer, if you like.

If you have any questions, give Randy a call at the school.

Sanderson Introduces the new SAT III

The newest development in Accu-Tuner dedicated tuning tools is the Sanderson Accu-Tuner III. The Accu-Tuner is the most popular (because it is the most useful) dedicated tuning device in the world - and it just got better. For a number of years (about eight, to be more exact), Randy has been "harassing" Dr. Sanderson to give the Accu-Tuner back the ability to tune sequentially through an aural temperament order. (It used to have this ability in the beginning, but in a very primitive sense compared to the new SAT III's capabilities).

The SAT III, available for delivery beginning in late April or early May, at a cost of $1600, is the most sophisticated and loaded dedicated tuning device ever produced. It includes every feature of both Sat I and SAT II models, and comes "stock" with everything you might want or need in a tuning device: 200 pages of memory, MIDI interface and all MIDI capabilities (usable with IBM compatible computers, too), the PTG Tuning Program, plus 9 pages of user-programmable (i.e. temperament) tuning sequence orders, and 15 pages of non-equal (historic) temperaments and hands-free operation.

Trade in Your Old Accu-Tuner

A number of you have recently purchase SATs; either from us or from directly from Inventronics, and may want to “trade up” to the new SAT III. If you have purchased and SAT (I) or Sat II from January ‘97 or later, you may trade it in on a new SAT III and receive a credit for almost the full amount you paid for your original SAT. For a limited time, they will deduct only $25 per month for the first six months you have had your SAT I or II, when trading it in on a SAT III. If this applies to you or someone you know, you will want to speak to me, or Inventronics, as soon as possible in order to assure your trade-up credit. You will want to place your order as soon as possible, though. And since we are now an Accu-Tuner dealer, you can place your order right through the school, and receive several benefits not available elsewhere.

Sanderson Accu-Fork II and Beat-Rater

There are many aural tuners who do not feel the need, want or desire to get an Accu-Tuner, yet would appreciate some of the benefits of modern technology in their work, too. This is where the Accu-Fork II and Beat-Rater shine.

The Accu-Fork II gives the pitch of A49, A#, B and C in a pleasant oboe-like tone. Generally it is used two ways. First, for taking pitch measurements before tuning a piano, so you can record the starting pitch and also to help determine if a pitch correction is necessary - and if so how much. Second, it is used to give the A (or A#, B or C) pitch for setting your starting note. Since the pitch is adjustable, performing a pitch raise is easier.

The Beat-Rater gives the beat rates of C#29-F33, F33-A37, A37-C#41 and C#41-F45 intervals. It can be adjusted to give beat rates two semi-tones lower and higher, meaning it will sound the beat rates of all intervals from B27-D#31 through D#43-G47.

New Genesis Keytop/Keyfront Resurfacing Jig

We have been producing the Genesis Keytop and Keyfront Resurfacing Jig for about two years now, and they are in use all over North America and in several other countries. The Genesis Jig uses a router to remove old keytops and key fronts, and smooth and resurface the tops to accommodate the thicker, plastic replacement tops available now. Once adjusted, both the top and the front may be removed from each key without removing the key from the jig.

The jig is pre-drilled for permanent (or semi-permanent) installation on your workbench, and is sized so it will fit in a Black & Decker Workmate, for those of you who are “shop bench impaired”. It is now possible to remove the keys from a piano, resurface the key and install new tops outside the customer's home - all in one day, if you like!

Price is $150 plus $10 shipping and handling (or, you can win one by entering our Name Our Newsletter Contest). The Genesis Jig comes with complete instructions, and is available from the school.

New Randy Potter School of Piano Technology Shop Apron

Many students have asked when we are going to have shop aprons available again. Yes we do. The new ones are a better quality, heavy-duty, dirt and stain resistant canvas material, with adjustable neck strap. Dark Brown. It has one pocket near the waistline, our logo silk-screened on the chest, and a piano keyboard silk-screened across the bottom. In addition to looking quite nice, they look sharp and are very durable. $20 each, includes shipping.

New Dampp-Chaser Hygrometer, Installation Video and New Color Catalog

More and more technicians are carrying hygrometers in their tuning kits these days, for the purpose of recording the temperature and humidity at the time they service a piano. Dampp-Chaser now has a new, and more accurate, gauge, which seems to be much more accurate than the ones I have had before. Price is $32.

They also have a new 16-page color catalog (first copy free, additional copies reasonably priced), and have come out with a new video, which you can buy for $4 directly from them at 1-800-438-1524.

Cory Products Cleaning Brush, et. al.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were a little easier to clean around the tuning pins - and at the same time do a better job? Well, Kevin Cory sells a brush that does just that. Part #PBB-1, retail $12.95, technician price is $8.20. (They do have a $30 minimum order, so you might want to order some other products as well.) You can get their catalog (if you did not get it with your course, or if you need an updated version) by calling them at 1-800-552-CORY. Or, you contact them via the ‘Net by linking from our site at www.pianotuning.com, or Swartz’ site at www.majesticpiano.com, or www.corycare.com.

Webb Phillips RemGrit Non-Slip Tip Screwdrivers

These may not be so new to some of you, because Webb has been selling these for about five years, that I know of. But they were pretty new to me a few years ago when Lynne got a full set of them at the PTG Annual Convention in Milwaukee. She let me know, in no uncertain terms, they were for her use in the office, and I was not to put them in my tuning kit, or take them to the shop. So, at last year's convention I finally got a few of my own; the 1/4x4" slotted, #2x4" Phillips and the illusive 5/16"x3" slotted. The neat thing about these screwdrivers is that they have grit on the business end of the tool, so they hold onto the screw much, much better. Especially on those cheap, soft screws with shallow slots! For more information contact Webb Phillips at 1-800-MAC-PIANO.

Schaff/Don Mannino Flange Bushing Easing Tools

A couple years ago Schaff began producing a new line of flange bushing easing tools. The set consists of six center pin reamers, in a black roll-up style tool case. The reamers were designed by Don Mannino, then-Piano Service Manager for Young Chang. The more I use these reamers for flange work, repining, etc., the more I love them. Say "thanks" to Schaff when you buy them, and say "thanks" to Don when you see him at various PTG conventions around the country. Schaff sells the reamers for about $15 a set, including a tool roll (cheap). (800) 747-4266.

Spurlock Grand Action Let Off Jig

Bill Spurlock has come out with another neat and useful tool. His Grand Action Let Off Jig allows you to regulate the let off on the bench. And it only costs $30! A group of hammers are supported by the aluminum rail at the desired let off height, then let off is adjusted one by one as individual notes are played. Call Spurlock Specialties at phone/fax 707-452-8564 for more information on this and other Spurlock technician tools and products.

Walker Key Repair Service

For the past couple years we have been using Walker Key Repair Service for keytop replacement or key rebushing (when we do not do it ourselves). They are fast, do good work and their prices are fair. And they pay return shipping on prepaid orders. For more information, or a price sheet, call them at (502) 838-6889, or (800) 745-6819, or see their ad in the back of the Journal every month. Larry and Phyllis Walker, Route 4, Box 364, Fulton, KY 42041.

Yamaha PT-100-II

Yamaha discontinued exporting their PT-100 tuning device to the U.S. and Canada a couple years ago, and has now come out with a new model, the PT-100-II. It is virtually the same as the original PT-100, but with a different battery and means of opening the case - and a $995 price tag.

Student Stories

Mark Engle lives here in Bend, and started taking our course last year. While he has not finished the course, yet, like many of our students he is already tuning for clients long before he has finished. I called him recently, to refer a tuning to him, and got a return message on my machine simply saying that he "spent the whole day at the Kevin Costner’s (The Postman) movie shoot. Later I learned he was their piano technician!

Seems they needed a tuner and started calling around, and Mark was the first one they caught in. I was out of the office at the time, and he was working in his shop. Since they needed the piano for an early shoot in the morning, and Mark did not know its condition, they agreed to deliver the piano to his shop the night before, so he could go through it. They picked it up the next morning, and he followed them to the shoot, touched it up and stayed the rest of the day in case it needed any further service as time, heat and humidity changes wreaked their havoc on it. (And he got paid for it!)

Larry Goss of Portland, Oregon has a nifty idea for getting people to leave their name and number on his answering device. His message says he will give them a five dollar discount on their next tuning if they leave their name and number. According to Larry, it has been quite successful at getting new clients to leave a message and wait for a call back, rather than continuing to go down the Yellow Page listings to someone else.

Join e-pianotuning Now!

The opening of the Internet continues to add more and more abilities to our lives, and we are taking advantage of some of them here at our school. While we have provided answers to student's technical questions since early 1995 via the 'Net, we also have a web page (two, actually), and are considering adding other services.

Our first, "original", if you will, web page was (and still is) at www.tuningschool.com. It carries our basic school catalog (without pictures) and a "hot button" to take you to our "new" site, which is www.pianotuning.com.

Our new site has several features that are worth checking out. It will have our complete, updated, school catalog, along with color photos, registration forms, and a copy of the Keyboard Magazine article which recommends the school. Using "hot buttons" you can access other industry sites, such as piano manufacturers around the world, the Piano Technicians Guild site, and the informational sites of technician rebuilders and such.

In addition, the site also contains our current Intermediate and Advanced Training Seminar brochure and registration information, our current school newsletter and timely updates including job openings, a listing of Loaning Library Video Tapes, and information about new books, video tapes and other new products. We are adding a new feature: "Tuning Tip of the Month" and "Technical Tip of the Month", in May, if interest is strong enough to make this seem like a useful feature. We are also considering setting up a regular, weekly, "chat session" (on mIRC) where students and Technical Advisors can interface with one another, and perhaps even setting up a "listserve", where students can post questions or discuss topics with other students and our Technical Advisors.

We would like to know your opinions on these matters, and to make your thoughts known all you have to do is dial us up at www.pianotuning.com, go to Send Us a Message, type in your message and hit Send Now.

Note New Office Area Code & Office Hours

In case you are yet unaware, the phone company gave us a new Area Code in 1996. It is 541.

Actually, if you have to have a Code change, at least they made it easy for us - and you - to remember. Our phone number is 382-5411. With the new Area Code being 541, our phone number is now 541-382-5411.

Our regular office hours are 9 A.M. - 3 P.M., Pacific Time, Monday through Thursday,

and 9 A.M. - Noon on Friday. Lunch hour is 12-1. Phone: (541) 382-5411. FAX: (541) 382-5400.

Web Site at www.pianotuning.com. E-Mail at rpotter@bendnet.com

Randy is usually in the office Mondays 9-4 and Fridays 9-Noon; except when he is teaching at a convention for the weekend, or the fourth Monday when he is usually in Portland for PTG meetings. Randy is a working technician, and usually schedules his tunings Tuesday-Thursday, though concert work can take him out of the office at other times as well. Lynne is in the office most days. If one of us is not in you may get one of our technicians, or the answering device. The office is closed on weekends and holidays, though if we are in the office we will answer the phone if it rings.

Randy will be out of the office from June 3-24 (for travel, including a seminar in Milwaukee, WI), June 27-July 15 (first for our Intermediate and Advanced Training Seminars at Northwestern College in St. Paul June 28-July 5; then to teach at the PTG Annual Convention & Technical Institute in Providence, RI, and our Steinway Factory Tour, and August 1-14 for vacation. The office, however, will be open Monday-Friday during those times. Have a good summer, and we hope to see you at one of the conventions, or somewhere along the way.

Telephone Problems

Unfortunately, we are often told that we have telephone problems. Students, and friends who live outside our local area, regularly tell us that they “tried to call all day” on a certain day, but no one answered - when in fact someone was in the office all day. This is a problem with long distance lines and microwaves repeaters over which we have no control.

We have also had problems with our answering machine(s) - and have gone through five different ones in the last year! They kept blowing up, burning up, and/or erasing all the messages. We now have one that seems to work right, and hope that it will not dump your messages. We do our best to get back to you quickly, so if you call during off-business hours, please leave your message on the machine. For best response, though, please call during office hours.

Upcoming PTG, PTA and Randy Potter School Conventions and Seminars in 1998

Randy will be attending or teaching at the following PTG or PTA conventions. Hope to see you at one or another!

January 4-17 Randy in Cuba, teaching and tuning at the Superior Institute of Arts and National School of Arts. Havana, Cuba.

February 20-22 Randy teaching at California State Convention, Riverside, California.

Mission Inn, Riverside. Contact: John Voss, 909-794-1559.

March 19-22 Randy teaching at Central West Regional Seminar, Wichita, Kansas.

Clarion-Airport Hotel. Contact: Marty Hess, 316-744-0564.

March 26-29 Randy teaching at Pennsylvania State Convention, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Brunswick Hotel. Contact: James Bittinger, 717-846-3589.

April 23-26 Randy teaching at Pacific Northwest Regional Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Banff Center for the Arts. Contact: Chris Gregg, 403-226-2430.

June 3-June 23 Thunder Tuning Seminars

Randy will be traveling between the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest (Milwaukee, WI), the Southwest (Kanab, Utah), and back home to the Pacific Northwest - on his Harley. That's why he calls these Thunder Tuning Seminars. It starts when he leaves Bend, Oregon, on June 3rd, arriving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the 9th. He leaves Milwaukee on the 13th for southern Utah, arriving on the 17th. Then he leaves Utah on the 21st to return to Oregon.

Why do I bother to put this in the newsletter? Two reasons. Because I will be riding my Harley, most of the time alone, I would welcome company of any who are interested in riding along on the route. I will be camping most of the time along the way - hey, its my vacation. And second, since I will be making stops along the way, it makes sense to arrange to meet up with students and/or PTG chapters, maybe have a "technical and tuning seminar", or perhaps just get together for dinner and talk pianos (or not pianos). If you are interested in getting the schedule, or getting together, check out the schedule on our web page (in May) at www.pianotuning.com.

June 28-July 5 Randy Potter School of Piano Technology's Sixth Annual Intermediate and Advanced Training Seminar at Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minnesota.

We are now accepting registrations for this seminar. Our seminar is limited to 20 students and, as we publish this newsletter, half of the registrations are already taken. Call the school for an ITS/ATS brochure, or download from our web site at pianotuning.com.

July 8-12, 1998 Piano Technicians Guild 41st Annual Convention and Technical Institute

This year's PTG Annual Convention will be in Providence, Rhode Island, and because it is the week following our Intermediate and Advanced Training Seminar, we have some special events planned. First, some of our ATS Instructors/Technical Advisors will be flying with Randy to the PTG convention, so you will get to meet them. Second, we will again be hosting our annual reception, Tuesday night, at the PTG convention. And third, we have arranged to have a private tour of the Steinway Factory (in Long Island, Astoria, NY) on Monday, July 13th, the day after the PTG Convention ends. See details, below.

July 13, 1998 Randy Potter School / Steinway Factory Tour

The Steinway Factory will be closed for summer vacation when we visit, so we will not get to see a rim being pressed. That's the downside. But if you have ever visited a piano factory (Randy has visited 12), you will know the upside is that we can look at work stations, work in progress, and hear our guide without the noise and hub-bub of multitudes of machines running. Space is limited on this tour, and we need your advance registration in order for you to attend with us. We will be arranging transportation (rental car or van) to New York Sunday, after the PTG convention ends, motel rooms in New York, the visit on the 13th and transportation back to Providence afterwards. Those taking this tour with us can plan to fly home (from New York or Providence) on the 14th. (Time and circumstances permitting, we may have dinner at Randy's favorite restaurant in New York, Molly Malone's.)

October 1-4 Randy may be teaching at the PTTGNZ 8th Biennial KIWI Convention ‘98,

This is not for sure, just yet, but we are talking about it.

For more information contact: Owen Bennett, 07-576-6216.

October 22-25 Randy teaching at North Carolina State/Regional Conference, Richmond, Virginia.

Holiday Inn Select. Contact: Alan Hallmark, email at pianomanadventures@erols.com,

phone 804-346-8068, or Lewis Spivey, 919-937-4777.

May 29-31, 1999 International Association of Piano Builders and Technicians (IAPBT) biannual convention in Hamamatsu, Japan. We are planning a two-week trip, which will include factory visits to Kawai and Yamaha in Japan, Samick and Young Chang in Korea, and a couple (undetermined) factories in China.