Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
I just read an article from www.PianoWorld.com that discussed finding the one. The “one” of course being the piano of your dreams. The one she found was an old piano that was in not so great of shape but the one that she really liked the best.
It is vitally important when you are choosing a piano that you find the one you love. It may not meet the idea that you started with or what you had in mind when you started looking. The name brand is far less important than the tone, touch and clarity you get when you play the piano of your dreams.
Of course you have to look at the overall condition of the piano and have a piano technician like Paul McCloud at Accutone Piano Service www.pianoservsd.com go out and be sure there is nothing technically wrong with it. The move is the second thing to consider which you can find a qualified piano mover through Precision Piano Moving www.precisionpianomoving.net .
Location is also an important thing. If you live in La Jolla for example that is a little more humid than say Rancho Santa Fe. Or if you are in Carlsbad as opposed to San Marcos you must be aware that humidity levels may need to be addressed.
The most important thing to consider is whether or not you like the piano and the guy that is selling it to you. If you love the piano-buy it.
There are several questions you have to ask yourself BEFORE you buy the piano that you have been looking for. We hope that you will feel welcome at PianoSD.com in Mission Valley in San Diego, to visit, ask questions and perhaps get a little education if you need it. We always welcome those discussions about the piano. We are all very passionate about the instrument and would lobe to be able to put a piano in your home or direct you to the right place to buy what you are looking for.
If you have any questions that I can help with please feel free to let me know or simply drop by the store sometime and say hello. We would love to meet you.
Ric Overton
Tags: Carlsbad, La Jolla, Mission Valley, PianoSD.com, Precision Piano Moving, PrecisionPianomoving.net, Rancho Santa Fe, Ric Overton, San Diego, San Marcos, www.pianoservsd.com
Posted in Guides and Information, News, Ric Overton | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
I am (unfortunately) a lover of older uprights. We recently took in an old piano that was from 1889 that was in really, really, bad shape at first glance. Waiting for the opportunity to go to the local dump, I took a shot at some new refinishing products, just to see how they worked and “low and behold” the finish under the black and grey exterior was an absolutely beautiful burled walnut.
I spent the next few days working on the finish while a tuner friend began to “try his hand” at the older action parts and such. It was more a labor of love and to gain some experience than anything else. After a few bucks in parts, the piano was sounding pretty good. By this time we had named the piano, you know guys have to name everything for some reason, Carla. The tech was leaving for a few days and I put a note on the piano that said “I’ll miss you while you’re gone” and signed the note “Carla”.
The next week a lady came in searching for a particular piano that we had in the back of the store, we went back and after playing the piano that she had come to see started to leave and noticed “Carla” over to the side. She immediately walked over to the piano, asked who Carla was and I explained that it was just a name we had made up as a joke and it stuck. She began to cry and told me that her twin sisters name was Carla and that she would buy the piano when we were finished with it.
After we delivered the piano and some months later the customer called to tell me that only a few days after she got the piano in her home she was diagnosed with cancer but, the piano had made her recovery so much easier because she felt and immediate attatchment to it.
Sometimes, its the unexpected surprise that makes it all worth while.
Ric Overton
Tags: piano technician, Upright pianos
Posted in Guides and Information, News, Ric Overton, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
In yesterday’s blog I discussed piano tuning, today I thought I might touch on regulating a piano.
Generally speaking, regulation has little to do with the tone of the piano but, more to do with the way the piano feels while you are playing it. Each part of the piano is made of wood and wool/felt with some metal parts. On occasion the metal part needs small amounts of dry lubricant which can be applied by a technician only to help the parts move more freely.
At PianoSD.com we employ Accutone Piano Service, Paul McCloud who is a certified technician and can do this type of procedure where he takes each of the 88 keys and weighs them to be sure the down weight (the amount of weight it takes to push the piano key) is correct. He also measures the up weight (the velocity the key returns to its correct position) and makes adjustments where necessary. This can be a very tedious process because the piano technician has to insure that each piece of the piano is free to move. Dry lubricant has to be applied at the right pivot points in order to obtain the maximum benefits for the piano.
As I said in my opening that regulation will not change the tone of the piano although it may appear to if you had a completely unregulated piano to start with and the technician brings it back to its proper regulation. Paul McCloud of Accutone Piano Service here in Mission Valley at PianoSD.com will take each key individually and begin the process of being sure that each key not only weighs the right weight but, also the keys are free to move up and down and the hammers are free to move and play.
A proper regulation should take a couple of days 8-12 hours to complete if it is in really bad condition but after that the piano will most likely fell better than the day it was delivered to your home. It will feel much more balanced and almost alive. You can reach Paul McCloud of Accutone Piano Tuning at www.pianoservsd.com.
If you have questions regarding piano regulation I would be glad to help you.
Stop by sometime we would love to meet you
Ric Overton
Tags: Accutone Piano Tuning, Mission Valley, Paul McCloud, piano, piano regulation, piano tuning, PianoSD.com, Ric Overton, San Diego, www.pianosersd.com
Posted in Guides and Information, News, Partners, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Ric Overton and Emmy Award winning Scott Houston at PianoSD.com in Mission Valley, San Diego Ca.
Yesterday was a blast with Scott Houston talking about the Play Piano in a Flash classes here at PianoSD.com in Mission Valley, San Diego, Ca.
Scott was in town yesterday having done a presentation for NAMM to the Piano Manufacturers Association he asked to come and visit and he and I decided to make an event out of his time here. He greeted customers and talked to them about the Play Piano in a Flash program and how much fun people are having across the country learning to play. He emphasized the fun of learning to play and how simple it is to learn to play piano when you are given the right set of instructions.
As many of you know we also do a Streaming show called Live@PianoSD which you can access through our new website www.PianoSD.com and click on the icon Live@PianoSD . Scott took the time yesterday to do this with me and it was great to have a small snipet about what he does on PBS every week. Scott is a 4 time Emmy Award winner and is going into his 14th season with PBS teaching people all over the nation and internationally how to play the piano.
Scott’s love for our industry and his willingness to help manufacturers, retailers promote the music business is fantastic coupled with the drive he has to help average people discover thier dream of learning to play the piano is obvious in his exuberance. I hope you get a chance to watch the show on Live@PianoSD as well as your local PBS station simply entitled, Scott Houston The Piano Guy or look for Play Piano In A Flash.
Drop by and see us sometime we would love to meet you.
Ric Overton
Tags: Emmy Award, Live @ PianoSD.com, Mission Valley, NAMM, PBS, piano classes, piano lessons, Play Piano In A Flash, Ric Overton, San Diego Ca, Scott Houston, teaching
Posted in Lessons and Tutoring, Live @ PianoSD.com, News, Play Piano In A FLASH!, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Afte many months of work Max of MaxMorganDesign.com has finished and this is the first post.
As some may have realized by now I am not always the easiest person to understand but, Max was able to see through all the cobwebs and get a great looking site from my mind. His ability to interpret my brainwaves is amazing. I don’t know if its a good thing or bad thing (probably the latter)(for him at least) that he can actually read my mind now.
As a result the website is up and running and we sincerely hope you approve. Take a look when you have a chance and tell me what you think.
www.PianoSD.com
In addition to the launch of the new site we are also announcing the beginning of the PianoSD.com School Of Music. We are teaching Scott Houston’s Play Piano In A Flash in a group setting as well as private instruction with our teacher Marko Paul.
If you have a chance drop by PianoSD.com in Mission Valley in San Diego, Ca. We would love to meet you and show you our Sheet Music Department, the PianoSD.com School of Music and the Performance Hall.
See you soon.
Ric Overton
Tags: Marko Paul, Max Morgan Design, MaxMorganDesign.com, Mission Valley, Performance Hall, piano lessons, PianoSD.com, PianoSD.com School of Music, Play Piano In A Flash, San Diego, Scott Houston, Sheet Music
Posted in Lessons and Tutoring, News, Play Piano In A FLASH!, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Saturday, October 10th At 7:00 PM
Tags: cello, clara schumann, edvard grieg, felix mendelssohn, friends of kensington, kensington concert, kensington concert series, kensington trio, natalka kytasty, normal heights library, piano, ronald morebello, violin, yuri kytasty
Posted in News | No Comments »
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
Today is the first day of my new blog. We are making every attempt to help people understand that making music is fun. Our Scott Houston, Play Piano in a Flash classes are growing by leaps and bounds. We are starting a new set of classes next week on Tuesday night at 6:00 and yours truly will be teaching. I’m VERY excited about this class because I truly believe that making music is the answer to lots of problems that we all face everyday.
Lovley’s Music and Gifts are now part of PianoSD.com too and business is going really good. Our customers tell us how much they enjoy shopping with us because they like the atmosphere that has been created and how music is the central theme.
I hope that you will come by and visit and that we are able to help you realize your dream of making music or find the right music for you or simply to make a new friend.
Thanks for visiting our new blog and I sincerely hope you will come back often and subscribe to see whats happening new every day.
Tags: Blog Launch, Classes, Intro, Lovely's Music, Play Piano In A Flash, Site News
Posted in News | 2 Comments »
