Cleaning 80 Years of Dust From a Piano
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- Опубликовано: 26 май 2024
- Cleaning 80 Years of Dust From a Piano - The Piano Doctor
Sound Board Cleaner: amzn.to/3LDFHqm
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I just started working through their course. Even though I'm already a piano tuner and I've been doing this for a few years, I'm already learning so much! 
Развлечения
The song at the end of the video is called Nuvole Bianche if anyone was wondering! Great video, im so glad you have been able to find a job and community in this
oh man tysm :)) i've heard it so many times and just couldn't pin the name today. And yeah it's super inspiring to see people make something out of a dream especially in music where a stable job is never really guaranteed, and either way the video and intention behind it is super sweet. anyways hope you have a good rest of ur day!
Thank you
Want to learn it
i love playing this song so much by far my favorite
Thanks
This was nice a lot of people would have written this piano off. I have a lot of respect for you for working on it.
Hello nice work but please take caution because that the dust inside the piano maybe contains abstestos and other chemicals that on early years there were no regulation so please be becareful use always protection, greetings from Ecuador
You're only 19? Wow, you did a good job! Keep up the good work👍
I think the dude's above me are in the wrong section
HE SHOULD GET MORE MONEY FROM THIS.
Yeah cause everyone just writes off grand pianos…
It never ceases to amaze me how much pianos will endure over the ages, they are living, breathing beings, and when invested in and cared for they really shine!! Beautiful work sir!
Yes for all instruments! I got to experience a historic flute room once and it was simply amazing. Even knowing the history of the instrument (flutes have changed quite a lot!), it was still amazing to be able to look between a flute that's nearly 150 years old and my own flute which is much, much, much younger and see how similar they are. It's sort of a marvel, I think, to be able to see that.
they are wooden objects, not alive
@@bens2718 alive at some point
@@bens2718 When does life begin and end? For me, a piano is really alive, like any other instrument.
Piano are people too
Hello! Great work! Being a piano technician myself I would recommend one thing which might once upon a time save your day)
During the pre-tuning, when the piano is more than 10Hz lower, if you tune the bass as usually, it might cause problems with the bass bridge (sorry, do not know how it's exactly called in English), my teacher told the whole bridge just came off the soundboard, which was kinda not a pleasant surprise. That happens because bass bridge is short and the tension rises on one side much more than on another, so there is a possibility it will turn away.
So, instead of tuning all the strings one after another, you should try tuning from up to down all the "right" strings in two-string choires, then all one-string choires and only then proceed to tune unisons (left strings in two-string choires)
This method expells any problems with bass bridge, which might be caused by tuning)
Best wishes!
Thanks for the advice!! :)
@@PianoDoctor it's really good advice I think
I'm going to try this on my next tune, seems like an interesting technique
It’s more because of the glue joints. Tuning from the low bass up to the last note high C. Usually is preferred.
It evens out the tension.
All the way up. But that’s only one way.
@@TM-jo4wz Hello! You mean during the pre-tuning? 'cause you can't start from the bottom during final tuning.
The method I described I rarely use on good instruments. 80% of my job are "not bad" at most Soviet upright pianos, and it works well with them.
Great video. Fellow technician here! One bit of advise that was very helpful to me when it came to old worn out grands and uprights alike is just how useful a brass brush can be. If the hammers are extremely worn and very grooved but you don't have time/resources for a full filing, you can quickly brush directly over the string grooves with a brass brush. It does a very good job of bringing down the brightness that comes with old, grooved hammers. Hope it helps like it did for me!
Just wondering, but what do you mean by "brightness"?
@@cezzy_1496 A bright piano has a clear and sharp tone with more high-frequency sounds.
@@YoujustgotJ1NXED ohh, I understand now. Thank you❤
Hey, nice video, I’m a piano tech in Florida, tape off the metal part of your cleaning brushes so you don’t scratch the plate!
I don't have a piano but I do enjoy your videos and how passionate you are in doing it even for free or discounted fees.. Amazing. I'm learning a lot too❤ hopefully soon many more would watch your videos and learn to take care of their pianos 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Wait what
I don't have a piano and I find this type of videos really interesting ! 😄
I have a piano but tuning him is very expensive so I'm here gritting to learn to do it by myself
He do it for free???
@Evgen Konyshock in Spanish I'm fluent. Tengo un piano y como no lo puedo afinar, estoy acá viendo tutoriales a ver si lo puedo hacer yo
"I'm only 19 and I don't pretend to have all the answers" ...most 19 year olds don't have the wisdom to understand this...good for this kid.
Only 19?? This kid is going to do awesome in life. Keep up the great attitude!!!
old pianos sound so good for some reason, like something about the echo gives it a more ambient vibe to it which is perfect for olden day classics. newer ones sound clearer and are much suited for modern day songs since you dont want that old ambient sounds in those songs. this piano cleaning and fixing is amazing considering its 80 years old. you can really hear the sound improvements on the piano. amazing job
The sound depends on the maker and the tuning. I can always tell a Kawai piano as soon as I hear the bass notes. Yamaha tries to mimic Steinway And Sons, but never quite gets it. To be honest, I don't care for Steinway pianos, new or old. My own piano is a 1903 Gerard Heinzman 6 foot upright. The Gerard, pre 1932, was an exceptional instrument on par with the best in the world. Very expensive, of course, and the company went bankrupt in 1932 and was bought by the "other" Heinzman Piano Company. The two families were cousins. After 32, Gerard became the less expensive second line.
Erm in my opinion Yamaha usually sounded more likely Fazioli but Fazioli sounded much more dim kind of 'transparent' (like lightly hitting on wine glass that kind of sound? It's hard to describe the differences between the sound produced by Yamaha and Fazioli, you have to hear them by yourself and I kinda adore Fazioli more than Yamaha but Yamaha is great for playing Mozart and jazz and modern music I think).
Yamaha don't really sounded like Steinway but Kawai does sometimes, precisely many of the times and Kawai usually sounded a bit much more muffled and 'cloudy' than typical Steinway since I heard Kawai is kind cooperating with Steinway to produce cheaper version of Steinway e.g. the Boston brand grand piano? (if I'm not wrong)
By the way I'm more of Kawai person (well, I play acoustic double bass too, maybe that's why LOL) than the chirping Yamaha but I really get wow-ed by an old upright Yamaha U3 piano. It sounded so good! I wish I have the money to buy the piano LMAO
I had special permission to play and practise on the old Yamaha U3 in the private music school where I had my piano lessons. Not every Yamaha sounded like piercing chirping piccolos but most Yamaha I have play before sounded so standardised across the same model but most Kawais sounded so different from piano to piano even though all of the Kawais are exactly the same model across the exhibition room!
That's why, I guess
Lester pianos are considered among the high quality pianos made (1888 - 1970 I believe…) and can still fetch above $20 Grand if in good shape! You really did them a great service on cleaning and tuning it up! Wow, hard to imagine the stories that piano could tell…
I felt so relieved! The 80y.o. piano was saved! People like you deserved a great gratitude. As a music lover and also an instrument lover, knowing that one instrument was saved from being thrown away is such a relief. And seeing you saved a memorable one is touching! I'm thankful that you bring it back to life!^^ good job!^^
It's always crazy to see the before and after tuning, I am not exaggerating when I say a big smile grew across my face when I heard the difference. It sounded really good and also gives me hope in my search for an acoustic piano, just because a piano is old and looks old, it doesn't mean it can't sound amazing.
idk why but i really like the sound from the piano on ‘before’ when he was showing the before and after
Nice work! I just did my first low budget restoration of a 90 year old baby grand, and I'm 53! Kudos. Recently posted a few somewhat similar videos. Cheers from California!
I love the sound of old strings, they have a bit of a muted (dull) quality that I really like for certain kinds of playing. Great job on this one
The bass strings crystalize if not used enough. That is what mutes them. The sound you are describing depends on the hardness of the hammers. Old pianos were made with hammers that are slightly softer than new. My 1903 got new hammers and bass strings custom made back in the 80s. The mellow sound did not change, but the bass notes became clear. The sound is very different to new pianos, but oh, so much more pleasing to the ear.
Something very magical about an old piano. It's like a life and seeing them restored and given another chance is like adopting an animal from a shelter. Gives me fuzzies
Never knew watching this can be very interesting before i found your channel. I think i get it why doing this can be so much fun for you to even give them a free service. Great work on the dusty old piano btw, you’re not just saving it from being thrown away, you also bringing back the memories of the owners, that’s priceless.
I'm a piano player too and I'm 18. I'm amazed at the work you did only being 19. Very inspiring.
Wow you're only a year younger than I am and are already basically a piano fixing professional! I'm gonna be watching you from now on to learn how to fix pianos from now on!
That was very, very cool. About 35 years ago I worked for a tuner/tech installing Pianocorders in new and older instruments. I saw a whole lot of what you showed in your video and it certainly brought back memories. I wondered when you mentioned the loose pins if you were going to whip out the magic juice to tighten them. I smiled when I saw you doing that. It's been a very long time since I saw someone pull the action from an old lady for cleaning. Great video, man. Thanks for this.
that was beautiful to watch!
I'm a piano owner and i had to learn to to restore and tune my piano the hard way.
I'm glad that nowdays there's content like this for future owners, it's so satisfying to watch the before and after all the great job. loving the content!
dude I love how it sounded before tuned its like chorus-y ambient dreamy sound like a 12 string absolutely stunning, beautiful
chor-ussy😩
I love it when creators leave links to full videos.
They make an attachment for your vacuum or shop vac to get into narrow spaces.. It’s a wand adaptor with like 20 or so needle nose hollow tubes that connect down into a single connection and would be perfect for vacuuming in-between the piano wires.. you need one of those! I loved watching you clean up this piano and bring it back to life! Great job.
Love this! House cleaning is my business and I know how satusfying it is to do the detail work and get something back to good working order for people. It means a lot! It was lovely to see the makers label show up so vibrantly ❤ and hear the baby back in tune!
Idk why, but it always warms my heart to see a piano go from practically unplayable to that beautiful sound all pianos should have
Idk, it just feels like the piano has like, beat some kind of illness and is bouncing back
I guess that’s why you call yourself the piano doctor 🤣
Thanks for saving this piano haa
It didn’t really hit me how great this was until you played it and I realized that the “before” sounds exactly like how my grandparent’s piano sounds now 😅
Get it serviced for them
Amazing. I'm a piano tuner from Singapore. I do learn a lot from you! Keep it coming.
Wow
Is Singapore there has some kind of Piano Technician Guild or registered association to work there as professional piano technician?
@@JoanKSX unfortunately not. You've got to pick it up from a tuner. In my case my dad is a piano technician himself so he taught me.
Wish there was someone with your skill around here. I have a 130 y/o piano. It sounds great, considering its condition and age, but it's got a few playability issues. There's a guy who tunes pianos, but doesn't feel comfortable with repairs. And it was never raised to A-440, and is missing a string in the bass section which was remedied by switching the mute out for a single string mute instead of a new string, so he thinks there might be bridge damage. I'm mostly annoyed by the key that sticks, but he didn't want to try to fix that either. The previous owner said it hadn't been tuned since the 70s, but it's more or less in tune, just a few cents flat. Compared to the cheap new pianos at the college, it has magnificent tone.
As others have said nothing makes me happier than to see somebody respecting an old piano
especially someone at 19 years of age
another wonderful video
you had me all excited about downloading that tune lab app... That is, until I saw the price was $299
worthwhile for you obviously
the very best to you, always
Every time I see a video like this I think, once upon a Time, we wouldn't have been able to witness this kind of trade in person.
It's like it's career day everyday now with creators like this.
it’s nice to see somebody who does what he loves and is successful with it. go in man, you’re a nice person and it’s a pleasure to see your videos :)
i've been doing this but with guitars, just taking them apart, cleaning and fixing them, restringing, and tuning them! honestly, giving an old instrument life again is so satisfying and it's such a great feeling!! i love your work, keep going!
My son played two old pianos at a hospital. Both of them need to be tuned. They definitely need someone like you. Keep up the good work. "Music speaks the language of the soul, penetrating into the past and resonating into the future."
This incredibly talented piano technician definitely loves his job and puts his heart and soul into making those the best cleaned and best sounding pianos! 👏 👏 👏 What a magnificent young man! 💖
Hearing that piano go from what it sounded like to when it was finished made me tear up.
What is the piece you are playing at the end, if you don't mind me asking. You are only 19 and you did a wonderful job. Being a piano tech looks like a very satisfying trade.
I think the piece at the end was Nuvole Bianche but do correct me if I'm wrong
@@simonsennero646 I think it might be. It sounds eerily similar. I love that piece as well.
I got a little misty eyed when you took the Barbie comb and the little toy nascar out from under the lid. It made me think of my own girl and her Barbie and my own childhood and how fast time slips away and how many lives have come and gone while that piano was being played and being used to teach children about music. As far as I'm concerned you're doing the most beautiful job in the world. May God bless you.
That fortunately survived a termite attack, because all it have was dust and it was super smooth when cleaned
When you played the melody before and then the melody after the tuning, I smiled and imagined that grand old piano was smiling too!
You’ve really inspired me a lot. I would love to be a piano technician as my career. I would like to do performances, but I can’t rely on that to make a living. You’ve shown me that this would be a good job. Thank you!
I’m so glad! That exactly why I’m making these videos :)
I started a similar way. I wanted to perform for a living, but I knew I needed a steady income if I ever wanted to support a family. This is a great option!
Amazing as always! I have myself a Kawai digital piano and whenever I see instruments in bad condition it gets me really melancholic. It's always so heartwarming to see an instrument lover bring a piano back to life
The tone quality of this piano is actually so freakin good!!
Not a piano guy, but I'm stunned at how well this came out! It kind of played in with the clip at the end where you included the clips of the playing: the before sounded haunting, like a wailing from a distant time, and the after sounded a lot more "alive."
I absolutely loved this!!! I have a piano that is also really old and out of tune. I've been trying to get my parents to get it turned as all of the keys are either flat or sharp, but because it is so old, they think we might have to replace the strings altogether. It makes me sad because it doesn't sound quite right being out of tune and my parents aren't yet willing to get it tuned. I love when people like you are willing to do this with either little to no costs for the people that are in need of it!
Piano strings can last a loooooong time. We have a 1889 grand at the shop I work at and it still has its original strings as far as we can tell. We came to an agreement that if they were replaced at anytime, it was probably in the 20s or 30s.
Anyway, why not try to teach yourself to tune? I’m sure there are videos here on the RUclips’s that could help get you on your way.
My 1903 upright had new bass strings wound in the 1980s. The old ones had crystallized, and so did not sound right. Because it is used regularly the "new" springs should last a very long time. Done properly the sound will not really change in the type of sound, only the quality.
Such a lovely piano! It's amazing how long an instrument can last when built well. So glad you were able to fix it up and give the piano a chance to play for many more years to come. 😊
This has gotta be the most wholesome piano tuner out there.
I'm glad you saved that piano, it does sounds really good and deserve to be saved
Probably wouldn't use an air compressor to clean it as that air contains quite a bit of moisture that you are spraying in and all over the action. Might want to try a warm air option instead like the blow side of a vacuum, same air pressure but no moisture.
Incredible work and care! Such beautiful instruments. You made some folks extremely happy!
Not only did you extend the life of the piano, the sound improvement was really nice. Thank you for your knowledge, diligence and work.
I don’t know why but the before and after at the end made me emotional
Hey there! I just wanted to say that I really love this long form content, and I hope to see more of it in the future :D . I am aspiring to become a piano technician myself, all because I saw your channel! Thank you!
I waited for this! Finally a longer video. I hope to be able to do things like this one day, as I'm considering getting a music major degree soon. ❤
Even out of tune that old girl sounds lovely.
You're gonna go far, kid.
towards the last tune, i can tell the piano is happy with the repair! saying a thank you to you as u play the piece on her. :)
Hi! I remember doing this deep cleaning on my old 1916 player piano when I first got it. It is a LOT of work and you did an amazing job with this grand piano. Cleaning through the strings is a pain in the rear end and I was taught to dismantle the piano for cleaning so you can really get every part. I restore the old player pianos and orchestrions so every part in those has to be dismantled and redone but it always makes for a better more clean look in the end. Amazing video!
Subscribed. That is amazing. My grandma's grand piano holds some of my favorite memories in life, just sitting with her and learning and playing along.
Thank you for showing this to others, and for keeping the lingo simple to understand. This is a beautiful thing.
You should give them a rough tune up ( get it close) before you drive away. Then the strings will settle over night and get used to the new tension. Then you can come back and fine tune it. Essentially a pitch raise for something that looks like it needs it.
Even when the piano was out of tune, it still sounded beautiful idk why.
You’re a miracle worker! Bringing that old Lester back to life and hearing how it sounded before and after…just WOW! 😯 Thanks for sharing your talents with all of us here.
One time the contrabass part of my piano was weirdly sticking, like one key would press down the whole octave, I recently opened it to see what was the problem and a pencil was stuck in the mechanism. It was like this for 2 years.
Really really really loved this it’s very satisfying watching a piano be cleaned thank you for making this ❤❤ I would love to see more videos like this
ever since my piano teacher wanted me to try my hand at piano repair, i was hesitant due to a lot of complications and judgement, but since then, I've been able to continue much more successfully. I'm planning to take after a few of your techniques to help tune pianos within my city
You’re an inspiration and really enjoyed watching you giving a new lease of life to these pianos! 🎉 keep going in your meaningful endeavour! 💎😊From Singapore! 😄
This is insane, doing this at this age is something that I really respect.
It's sastisfying and it makes people happy !
I love what you do and I love you
You brought it back to life! Congratulations! I have tuned and fixed pianos for some 30 years or so. I use Cory Detailing oil to shine up and clean the soundboard, damper heads and the plate. It shifts the dirt build up easily and enables a nice shine.
"I'm only 19 so I don't have all the answers." I feel like you've found something you love to do for a living, are generating joy, and are sharing that with us. You might have found the most important answers, my dude. I love you! I am proud of, and encouraged by, you.
I hope there's enough pianos out there for you to keep doing this as long as you still want to!
Very impressive, indeed. It would have been a bit humorous, very interesting and kind of awe inspiring if you moved that fast in real life. If you can find a vocation that you would like to make a career out of and say, "It was fun." that is a true blessing. My advice for a 19-year-old who seems to have a good start on what should turn out to be a fruitful career is, never stop looking for ways to improve what you're doing and don't be afraid to branch out and, explore new things and expand what it is that you do.
I coach and teach judo at Central Michigan University. One of the guys in my judo club is 19. I always look forward to seeing him. He's really dedicated.
I'm looking forward to your next video. I'll be keeping you in my prayers.
Very thorough job and very kind of you! Going into music education I aspire to one day learn how to tune pianos. Just curious, where did you learn how to tune pianos?
I admire not only what you did for this couple, but for your diligence in pursuing a craft that is "becoming a lost art." You are also are obviously focused, articulate and don't mind the dirty parts of the job in order to see it "come to life" again. It's obvious to me that God gave you a musicians hands with those long fingers which glided over the keys as well!
So satisfying seeing the logo after cleaning (and hearing the owner’s reaction).
I love this video!!! ^^
So do i
Hi .what is that oil that you've used ? thanks
I have an old upright that was passed down a few generations. My mother had someone come and try to tune it, and they said it couldn't be done. Watching these videos, I'm starting to doubt that. It would be a dream to get that old piano fixed and start playing it again. When I was really little, I marked all the "bad" keys with tape. Even then I cared about the tuning.
i am glad you fixed this piano, for some people it may mean nothing, but for some it's an escape.
He uses a $300 piano tuning app??????
When it's a 1 time purchase or even once a year and he charges $80 an hour you pay for it within a day
What's the name of the song you played? I really like it❤❤
man, tuning really makes a world of a difference. I always wondered how pianos can sound so wrong, even though the pitch seems right. And with there being multiple strings per note, it makes sense now.
love this longer video. that before and after made me sentimental too
Do you hydrate
sister
What is a free alternative to this app?
It sounds very comfortable after tidying up.
I'm not a piano technician, I don't even know how to play one if I'm being honest, but being a maintenance tech, and a former cello player I recently was asked to make an attempt at fixing up my wife's grandma's piano and tuning it... I never quote realized how much goes into this process. 8+ hours later of removing the action, lubricating the sticky pins, and tuning and retuning (and I'm still going to have to retune it again as I only got through every string once and it was more than a whole note off flat) I have an absolutely new respect for you guys. When I heard that it was gonna be more than $300 to tune this piano not including repairs I thought "there's no way". After doing this myself now, I understand, and definitely respect the work put in on jobs like this, and think that's absolutely a justified cost for the amount of work needed. Keep up the good work man, and thanks for releasing content like this! I really enjoyed the video.
Your soo grateful brother. 19 years old, i came with tears watching you servicing that piano and every other you do. Wish u all the strength and courage to keep up the unforgettable work💚❤💪🙏.
This is how my dad pictured our piano every time I left the fallboard lid open 😹
Deep, deep, deepest respect for your piano and people skills.
I recently purchased an 88-year-old piano and mine wasn't nearly that dusty, probably serviced about 20 years ago. But the tuning was farther out than this piano. The tuner charged me $520 including the long drive to my home. He worked around four hours and did the same services, less the glue and add a couple of hammer pins. I wasn't willing and he wasn't willing to use the CA glue in January in Minnesota, too cold to open the windows. The piano was a dream to play after tuning, a lot of joy for my family. After a few weeks I can hear that the glue will be needed in the springtime. The torque on the pins was only about 18 in-lbs, so some of them might have already loosened up a bit.
Thanks for your comment. 18 pounds is pretty low torque! Anyway, best of luck with your piano. :)
@@PianoDoctor sure, thanks! If it doesn't work out, it doesn't. I got it for nearly free but had to rent a truck and construct a skid board to carry it. But the move was successful. The tuner had the best attitude, sounded even a little like you in this video. He pulled the action with a little difficulty in finding the screws. They were in the same place as the ones in your video, diagonal under the keys.
When I sit next to my piano, it has an "ancient odor". At first I thought it was cigarette smoke. But the house it came from had no odor. I now think it's the 80-year varnish, who knows.
Maybe someday I'll buy something newer. But right now my adult son is downstairs playing it happily and I play it often too. We are pleased to have a piano again. Last night I played and the family sang. What a rich experience.
I've never heard an old piano after tuning before, and it was really fascinating to hear the difference. I always thought the really strange clashing of notes and weird resonance was something to do with irreversible string or mechanism damage, but to learn that each key is actually tied to multiple strings individually tuned to create a single harmonious note makes so much more sense. Hearing the piano finally sing in tune at the end of the video was so satisfying!
Wow! I’m so glad I found this channel. I love watching you give these pianos the love they deserve.❤
You’re only 19? I’m really proud of you to have these skills!
What a magnificent difference well done young man.
I LOVE old things. Pianos are especially my favorite. They're so beautiful and I'm glad there's someone like you that can fix them.
Triple Wow (for the piano itself, for the owners not giving up on it, and for the skills/dedication of this 19 yr old 🙂 )!
I remodel for a living and I like to use a furnace filter taped to a 20” box fan for dust. Really helps to keep everything clean not to mention better on your lungs.
I feel like the untuned version sounds awesome. It sounds like it has reverb and is more eerie sounding.
I could watch these all day! Please do more!
Waited for the vacuum scene; so gratifying when it came.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Was interesting and entertaining. Will never forget watching our family piano being tuned as a kid. The guy was blind but took it apart and cleaned it as if he could see every speck of dust and then tuned it. As a kid it amazed me that he knew where everything was and went when he put it back together. Wishing you a great future and looking forward to seeing more of your videos as your able to share.
Great work...before sounded like Victor Borge (in comedy sketch) after sounded like Andre Previn. So pleased you were able to save that piano.
The before is so nostalgic, it sounds like my grandma’s piano. It’s probably been 40 years since someone tuned it