Piano Technicians Guild
SCRC Regional Conference

Again this year, SCRC is offering all-day-long classes on Thursday. These extra cost classes allow for extended learning.

• Efficient Grand Action Rebuilding: Full Day - Nick Gravagne, RPT
• One-Day Grand Resurrection: Full Day - Don Mannino, RPT

You will have to choose the one most important to you!

Check for updates periodically.

Efficient Grand Action Rebuilding: Full Day
All-Day-Thursday Class - Extra Cost

Nick Gravagne, RPT

This class embraces an "A to Z" concept which includes three main areas:

• "Drawing board" analysis and choices of measurements, geometry, knuckle and capstan location, flat or angled wippen heels, hammer weights, key leading patterns, and more.
• Mockup of Action Parts to test viability of choices made: trial shank with new knuckle location, test of action regulation, key dip and aftertouch, trial key weight, and more.
• At the Workbench to follow through with actual work, including efficient methods of removal of capstans, weighing off of keyboard, drill press jigs, removal of key leads and more.
• Watch the video intro. You won't want to miss this class!

In addition, this class will be very visual including much by way of actual work in-class, video demo, and slide presentation. Our intention is to present everything practical and useful and to avoid tangential departures into unnecessary theory and anecdotal flights of fancy.

One-Day Grand Resurrection: Full Day
All-Day-Thursday Class - Extra Cost

Don Mannino, RPT

An all-day seminar demonstrating how to bring a well-worn grand piano into good playing condition in one day. The day will start with a Kawai grand which has been used and abused and is in need of major work. Don will demonstrate practical and efficient methods that we all can use for making an unhappy older piano into an enjoyable, pleasing musical instrument in the space of a full day service appointment. Topics discussed and demonstrated will be prioritizing and planning the day’s work, cleaning, keyboard easing and lubrication, fast hammer filing methods, and a session on grand regulation for maximum performance. Mixed into the demonstrations will be discussions of action center service, grand action regulation methods with and without specifications, hammer shaping methods for great results in the shortest time possible, full-piano voicing, tuning stability, plus snippets and guidance for concert tuning voicing (piano permitting!). Don will not just talk about the work - he will be demonstrating the actual work for us, filing hammers, regulating and voicing one section of the piano, allowing us to experience the results and see how he got there.

End of Extra Cost Thursday Class Descriptions

Tim Barnes, RPT

Most piano technicians don't understand advertising and feel stressed out by the lackluster results of their current advertising efforts. The truth is most customers never see your ads because ad fatigue is a major issue for consumers. You have to cut through the noise and get the right message to the right customers so they will act. This class covers the marketing strategies you want to be using to increase your effectiveness and grow your business.

Tim Barnes, RPT

If you are trying to making a living as a piano technician, you need Gazelle. The Gazelle Network is a new software that enables you to manage your business on the go. Gazelle will save time and increase your revenue. Spend less time in the office, less time in the car, as you automatically remind clients their piano(s) are due for service and watch as they self schedule their own appointments using Gazelle's SMART Scheduler. Managing clients, pianos, and calendars for one or more technicians is what Gazelle does best. This class will be focused on showing you how Gazelle can transform your life by helping you focus on the things you love. Gazelle will enable you to spend your time servicing pianos and caring for people rather than playing phone tag and doing office work.

Wim Blees, RPT

Service is the name of your business, but are you managing your service like a business? Learn how to effectively promote yourself and your business, and how customers look at the service industry as a whole.
 

Wim Blees, RPT

A round table discussion on pitch raising: what works, what won’t, and some of the untruths about massive pitch changes. Included will be a demonstration of pitch raising techniques.
 

Gordon Bolton

For those concerned about nudging a piano away from a wall, moving one across the room, or moving one across a greater distance. We'll have some techniques that can make it easy and safe.
 

Mike Ello, RPT

Mike Ello has been touching up lacquer and polyester finishes on pianos for over 30 years. Whether you wish to be totally safe touching up edges, light scratches, and small defects, or you are ambitious enough to take on a lacquer or polyester fill repair, Mike will help you learn to add more income to your service calls by attending this class. There is always some level of finish touch up you should be comfortable offering to your customers. Don’t miss out!

Charles Faulk, RPT

A class on enhancing your service call. Features a look at the important traits of a good tuning hammer, plus a realistic definition of "rigidity". Tuning hammer technique is something that can be taught even though we all have different propensities, body types, and skill levels. We will learn about physical preparations to tune, body stance, preparatory moves, safety, economy, and that all-important final move to call a pin “set”. Finally, we will learn simple, quick voicing techniques that our customers will appreciate.

Jim Geiger, RPT

Ever come across a piano in the field that has so many issues, you don’t know which to tackle first? This is a class where we take a neglected vertical piano and diagnose the problems, then decide which order to do the repairs. Hint: Do the worst first!

Nick Gravagne, RPT

• Key Button Replacement
• Balance Hole Replacement
• Badly cracked Keystick
• Veneer Repair to Balance Hole
• Glue Sizing

A major feature of this class is Nick's simple DIY Balance Hole Replacement jig and procedure. When the balance hole is too far gone for simple glue sizing, you need to replace the balance hole with new wood and a fresh hole. A simple and effective procedure using simple tools and no complicated or expensive jig setups will be shown.
Neat, inexpensive and effective, especially when only a handful of inserts is required, the procedure requires a simple guide jig for you to make. If used carefully, a full set of balance hole inserts can be installed.

Kelly Hollifield & Charles Rempel

This class will be highly interactive as we will discuss the benefits or drawbacks to the PLSS in a variety of climates as well as answer any other questions that you might have. For all experience levels.
 

Stephen J. Hopp, RPT

Learn comprehensive ways to diagnose problems all customer pianos present when we come for the standard tuning visit. Go beyond sticking key repair and learn to explain problems customers may or may not be aware of. Stay within your comfort zone or branch out into areas of piano work that may be new to your skill set. Come away with the most important sales tool you have - YOU!

Don Mannino, RPT

This class will focus on the goals of regulation and how to fulfill them in the least amount of time. Covered will be how to make the piano work best within normal specifications, which tools to buy and which procedures to follow to insure the best results. An excellent class for those who want to get a better handle on making vertical piano actions perform at their optimum while being as efficient and profitable as possible.

Paco Morales, RPT

Learn how to make your own jigs and tools. They may be simple and inexpensive to create, but you’ll be surprised to see how useful they’ll be for regulation and maintenance of both grand and upright pianos.

Nate Reyburn, RPT

Mastering speed and artistry together opens new doors for working with customers and their pianos. We’ll cover CyberTuner’s basics in this class, but you’ll also get a chance to see how CyberTuner is amazing at quick, accurate pitch raises, how to converge the ear’s aural preferences with the machine’s digital decision making, and why everyone says the pure 12ths tuning style makes pianos so happy.

Nate Reyburn, RPT

This class introduces ways to cause stress on your body using our most common tools like impact hammers and rigid levers. We’ll look at lots of exciting ways we lose income by shortening our careers, causing pain, and limiting our finesse every day! Seriously though, using the right tools (including our bodies) the right way is crucial whether you're just starting out or have been tuning for years. We'll cover the basics as well as some advanced tips, then offer hands-on instruction.

Jack Stebbins, RPT

What are partials? What are beats? What is inharmonicity? In our business, PARTIAL HEARING is, indeed, your greatest asset. What’s it all about? Come find out.

Mike Tocquigny, RPT

This is a hands-on class of three basic action repair skills. Materials and tools will be provided, but bring your own pin extractor and flush nippers if you have them.

Mike Tocquigny, RPT

Pedals on older grand pianos can become wobbly. Even worse, the entire pedal frame can come loose from the piano. Then there are the diagonal braces. And noises! Correcting these problems will be demonstrated using a Steinway lyre and a Baldwin-type lyre. It’s about making it solid!

Jim Watson

This class will cover all aspects of pin block assessment, measurement, removal, and re-installation in any type of piano. It also will cover re-drilling the new pin block and completing the procedure. Come see how intriguing this work can be.