Unstrung ---> Restrung

(before, and------------------------------------------after.)

The words we'd been waiting for were uttered right around 2pm today in the performance studio: "I think that's it!" The very last new wire had been strung, coiled, and tightened - and Piano Technician Allan Day was stepping back to take a long look at his work. "This went really well."

It's going to need around 5 tunings before its ready for performance. The new wires will stretch through this process, and will require careful attention to get them into top shape. We're looking at booking our first live performance (possibly) in early March. We'll let you know when that happens so you can listen in.

As the project wrapped up today I was very curious what the piano would sound like at this stage of its overhaul: keeping in mind the keyboard isn't secured, its dampers haven't been returned and - the big one - the piano hasn't even been tuned yet. But what does it sound like?

VPR Classical's Joe Goetz obliged and gave the instrument a trial run. Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata never sounded so...well...listen for yourself:

Unstrung, Day Four

We're making a dramatic glissando into the home stretch here on the week-long project to rewire VPR's 1970 Yamaha C7. For the last few days the performance studio has been awash in rolls of wire, all kinds of unusual hand tools, and an impressive assortment of various adhesives and cleaners.

When I checked in this morning Piano Technician Allan Day was already getting to work. With the help of pianist and VPR Classical afternoon host Joe Goetz, Allan is installing the piano's bass strings. After that he'll finish off the strings at the top end and replace the hammers, dampers, and the keyboard. We'll catch up with that part of the project later this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to hearing the piano played once all of the strings are in and the keyboard's been reinstalled, but before it's tuned. (Maybe we can talk Joe into playing something to give us an idea what that sounds like!)

For now, here's the work that Allan and Joe were doing this morning including installing the "A" string - the very lowest bass string on the piano:

Unstrung, Day Three

The third day of VPR's piano restringing project dawned with a rather questionable odor emanating from the performance studio. I didn't hesitate to open the door, however - I'd been in there yesterday afternoon when Piano Technician Allan Day was firing up his vintage glue pot so I knew what I was in for.

The glue Allan uses to adhere the felting to the pin board is made of reconstituted flakes from boiled-down cow and horse hides. It's old school, and it works. In fact, it works so well that some piano makers like Steinway use ONLY that kind of glue when constructing their instruments. While Yamaha pianos (such as VPR's) are primarily constructed with a different, non-water soluble kind of glue, the hide glue is still used in some of the detail work like felting.

Allan's making great progress on this project, the first of the new pins and wires were already set in place yesterday!

Here's a little insight to today's work, including a fascinating story about how the different kinds of glue affected what happened to the pianos in Houston's Jones Hall when the city flooded.

Unstrung, Day Two

Shortly after 10 this morning I made my way into the Performance Studio, where Piano Technician Allan Day was already getting started with his second day of work rewiring VPR's Yamaha C7 piano.

One of the things we couldn't have known before all the wires inside the piano were removed yesterday was that the tuning pins were bent, and needed to be replaced.

<---(note the bend in the head of the tuning pin. It's subtle, but it's there. And it's enough to wreak havoc with a piano's tuning if it's not fixed.)

This can happen for a number of reasons, the biggest one being the fact that our piano is forty years old - that's four decades of hard work, on each of the piano's 88 keys. There are up to 250 lbs. of tension on each piano wire, and it's the pin's job to hold the wire solidly in place as the instrument is being played. That's a lot of years without a day off.

Among other benefits, replacing the pins will help to ensure that future piano tunings last a little longer before needing another tweak. For the second day of work on the piano Allan is removing the bushings (they're made of maple wood) that hold the pins in place, replacing them, continuing his deep cleaning of the instrument, and beginning to replace the pins themselves. The old pins were stock parts made of Japanese steel. They came with the piano when it was made in 1970. The new pins Allan has selected are made of German steel and are a little thicker, so they should hold up very well for another four decades of fabulous performances in the studio.

Here's the conversation Allan and I had this morning about yesterday's discovery - and yes, there are more power tools at play today!

Unstrung...Still.

Day one, piano re-stringing: I checked back in with Allan Day in VPR's performance studio to see how things are coming along. He's making good progress in the work, with all of the old strings being removed and the piano being cleaned.

Here's Allan, wearing thick workman's gloves, pulling out sharp piano wires by the handful (I think he's really having fun with this):


Day two tomorrow includes more cleaning and preparation for new wires to be strung. It's more exciting than it sounds. You'll see.

Unstrung

You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you're standing at the top of a VERY tall building, and you look over the edge? I had that feeling today for just a moment when - 'ping!' - the first wires were cut on the inside of VPR's performance studio piano.

Last summer while tuning VPR's piano for an upcoming performance, Piano Technician Allan Day realized that there were bigger problems to be addressed: the Yamaha's wires were finally wearing out after supporting forty years of great performances.

We scheduled the work to be done in early January after the busy holiday music season and before things really begin to pick up again in the spring. The work began today, with the old wires being cut and removed.

This is a big procedure! It's not something you get to see every day. I'll be taking a few videos and talking to Allan as the week progresses. Here are the first two in the series. Enjoy - and, big thanks to our contributing listeners for making this important work possible.