The beginning of a new era
It was the end of 1972. I was 18 and I had just decided that majoring in Commercial Art and accumulating a bigger student loan debt than I already had, wasn’t for me. I got a job as a roofer with my friend Rocky and we were working on the then new Hunts Point Market in the South Bronx. December quickly turned into January 1973 and working outside in the wind, cold and snow had me begging my Dad to get me a job at Steinway & Sons. He had been reluctant to do so earlier as this is where he spent his whole working life and wanted something better than that for his son. At this point, any job was better than no job and he knew I was never setting foot on those windy rooftops again.
The job he got me: Lumber Marker. I to this day am not sure it was his way of attempting to discourage me. Basically the job consisted of greeting the stacks of lumber that had been sitting in the outside yard for 5 years. These piles of wood were left outside to age so that they would split, crack, bend and warp. After inspecting each piece for defects and marking them up with a crayon; denoting specific widths and lengths. This was done as a way to avoid having the pieces of wood that would not be fit to withstand the ability to be used as part of a Steinway. It was dirty and hard on the hands, but it was warm and I learned a lot about wood. That was my job for the first year and a half at the Steinway factory.
Tips for the care of your piano
Your piano is basically a machine like a car or a computer, but with the capability of allowing someone to create music. All machines need to be properly maintained or they will eventually break down.
Importance of proper maintenance
We recommend tuning at least twice a year (due to climatic changes) and regulating ever 3-10 years based on use. Pianos such as old Steinways, Mason & Hamlins and Baldwins are worth the time and money to completely rebuild and refinish as these instruments are of much richer sound than new pianos.
"Tuning" and "pitch raising" as opposed to "regulation"
"Tuning" is the turning of the tuning pins and thereby tightening of the strings, to raise or lower the pitch of the piano. When the wood of the piano shrinks or expands, the pitch will rise or drop. Therefore tuning corrects these changes. If the tuning pins of the piano are lose, the pins will shift quicker and the piano will go out of tune drastically. A "pitch raise" is when the piano has dropped in pitch significantly or when the piano has not been tuned in quite some time and has dropped in pitch from tension above. There is an extra charge beyond simple tuning for a pitch raise since it involves more work.
"Regulation" involves adjusting the many moving "action" parts (keys, hammers, etc.) inside the piano so that they work properly with each other to give you the best tune and feel possible. This procedure can sometimes take many hours to complete but is only necessary every 2-10 years, based on the piano and the amount of playing. Minor action regulation can be done more frequently for the more seasoned pianists.
If you're now wondering if your piano needs some work, contact us today!
Why rebuild?
The late 1800s to the 1960s are considered the heyday of Steinway & Sons, and in most cases, of all piano makers. Anyone who owns or has played upon a number of such instruments tends to agree. In those times (especially before the advent of television and radio) the piano was considered an extremely important part of peoples' lives. Piano makers were aware of this importance in their manufacturing of an instrument that would last for a lifetime, if not generations. And standing out above them all, in quality and design - was Steinway & Sons. Although they made a large number of instruments during these times, there were only so many, and I am observing a lesser amount available on the market for sale as the years go by. Owners seem to be appreciating what they have in an old Steinway, enjoying their gorgeous sound and holding onto them even if for just investment purposes. In the case of a family owned instrument, there is always the idea of passing them onto the next generation. Considering the cost of new Steinways and changes made in the overall construction of such in the past 50 years, these are very wise decisions.
A number of my clients have asked me, "If the old Steinways were so good, why rebuild them?" as well as "Wouldn't that make them a 'new' Steinway?". There are a number of reasons to rebuild an old steinway. A piano is made up mostly of wood and metal, along with many moving parts. The wood tends to crack, split and warp. The metal tends to rust and tarnish. There is also the problem of varnish and lacquer becoming discolored or "checked". The soundboard is initially placed into the body of the piano with a slight curvature to it, which we refer to it in the piano business as "crown". This curvature tends to flatten out over the years and the piano loses its carrying power. The strings rust and lose tone. The moving parts, like anything mechanical, can be adjusted or "regulated". But this can be done only a number of times and then they wear out. Replacing all of these parts and refinishing the piano does not change the fundamental sounds of the instrument. In fact, rebuilding only enhances that sound. Steinway made their own metal plates for many years. When they began having them made by another company they inexplicably changed the design. This plate, or harp, is the one thing (besides the body itself) that we do not change in rebuilding this, along with the body itself, are the elements responsible for making the sound of the old Steinway what it is.
So when we rebuild your old piano, we give it a new life, we resurrect it! Many of our clients are enjoying their rebuilt Steinways now and intend to pass them on and keep them in the family for generations to come. Although it can be an expensive proposition, complete rebuilding and refinishing makes playing your piano a new and exciting experience and only enhances the value of the instrument and is therefore a worthwhile investment.
A history of a piano maker's family
A number of years ago I was tuning a piano at a Senior Center in Long Island City Queens, not too far from the neighborhood I had grown up in, Astoria. As I was working, an older gentleman stopped to chat. I found out later he was 79 years old at the time and that his name was Peter. He looked nowhere near his age. In fact, he was wearing a tool belt loaded with a hammer, screwdrivers and various pliers and was doing handyman type actions at the center. Through our conversation we discovered that we were both from Astoria. he, being much older than I, informed me of what it was like living there when he was younger. We had a nice little talk and then he let me go on with my work.
As I continued, a strange feeling came upon me to ask him if he had ever known any Drasches or Speyrers (the Speyrer family was my father's mother's side of the family and was fairly well off back then and i assumed were more well known than the Drasche family). When Peter came back into the room I asked him that very question. His face turned white and he seemed to look into nothingness, but was in reality looking back as if my question had thrown him into some past time. "Drasche, Johnnie Drasche?" asked Peter. "Johnnie Drasche was my grandfather", I said, although I never called "Gramps" that. Peter continued on telling me the story of his acquaintance with my grandfather with great enthusiasm, admiration and gratitude.
My grandfather , unlike his two brothers who worked for Steinway & Sons, had opted for the other industrial job choice in Astoria at that time: lumber. Located near the Steinway factory he was a foreman in the lumber mill. Peter (at 17 years of age) had applied for a job in the mid 1920s and John Drasche interviewed him. Seeing that Peter had a good knowledge of wood, he was hired. I was told by Peter how much he loved my grandfather, little things that he remembered like getting an apple or some lunch that was brought from home and shared by Johnnie.
The mill moved to Brazil or Peru (I can't recall which) shortly after the stock market crash of 1929. My grandfather electing to stay in the States and be unemployed for a good number of years. "I always wondered what happened to Johnnie after that", said Peter. I filled him in on what I had known especially the parts about how he showed me the same love, affection and caring that he had shown Peter those many years go. I watched Peter's face as I told him the story of John Drasche's remaining years (he passed away in 1976) and it was like filling an empty treasure chest with gold.
I never saw Peter again, but that was a good day for me, him and Johnnie Drasche
