Cooling holes in piano plate

Cooling holes in piano plate

by SJ Piano ServiceNo Comments
Have you ever wondered why grand pianos have these holes in their plate? Piano plates are made of cast iron, and as such are forged at very high temperatures. These "cooling holes" are strategically placed in the plate to break up large contiguous areas of cast metal so that the entire plate can cool more evenly and quickly, avoiding warping and cracking. As cool as it would be, they are unfortunately not "subwoofers" or "sounding holes" and having more of them does not necessarily make your piano better. There is minimal impact on sound and that is not the purpose of the holes. What IS cool though, is that various manufacturers trim and decorate the holes in different ways, and it can be a unique identifying element of a piano's history! This one is a 1926 Steinway L baby grand. ...
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Dampp-Chaser Piano Lifesaver system

Dampp-Chaser Piano Lifesaver system

by SJ Piano Service Comment Closed
This piano is a 45-year-old Steinway upright, which only seems half its age thanks to this Dampp-Chaser humidity control system. The Dampp-Chaser "Piano Lifesaver" system is a humidity control system designed specifically for pianos. It truly is a lifesaver, particularly for pianos in churches, schools, and other institutions where the climate is not controlled as consistently as a home. I highly recommend the system for any instrument, and especially for church and school instruments. It can't resurrect an already dead piano (sorry), but it will help to significantly preserve the life of your instrument! If you'd like to read more about humidity control, visit: http://www.sjpianoservice.com/humidity_control.htm ...
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The new Steinway Spirio player piano

by SJ Piano Service Comment Closed
The concept of the player piano has reached a new level with the Steinway Spirio. Not only have they recorded numerous performances by Steinway artists into the piano, but for a number of them you can even watch their performance at the same time! Oh, and the iPad comes with the piano... Glenn Gould performing J. S. Bach's E-flat major fugue from the Well-Tempered Klavier, Book 2. Steinway Spirio video...
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Hard-to-find serial numbers

Hard-to-find serial numbers

by SJ Piano Service Comment Closed
Virtually all pianos have a serial number, which can be used to determine the age of the instrument and often the location of its manufacture. Sometimes, however, serial numbers are hard to find, particularly in older pianos and those that have been rebuilt. This 1960's Steinway had been rebuilt, and the rebuilder not only painted over the serial number next to the pin block, but also did not write or etch it anywhere else on the piano as is often done on rebuilds. Thankfully, there was one remaining place that the serial number had been inscribed - on the back of the keyslip! This is the piece that runs across the front of the keyboard, covering most of the front of the keys. Sometimes finding a serial number makes for a fun scavenger hunt. Most often, though, they are easy to find and provide helpful information both to the piano technician and the owner. ...
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Steinway M Grand Piano

Steinway M Grand Piano

by SJ Piano Comment Closed
1969 Steinway & Sons model M (5'7") Henry Steinway, a German immigrant, founded the Steinway company in 1853. It quickly became one of the leading piano manufacturers, and for the past century Steinway pianos have been the instrument of choice for a majority of performing artists. All Steinway instruments are still manufactured by hand in one of two factories: New York City (supplying North and South America) and Hamburg, Germany (supplying the rest of the world). ...
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