Defunct piano stuck in recording space

DbIM

New member
Hey yall! This is my first time posting here and I’d be incredibly grateful for any advice on this specific problem I’ve encountered.

I live in a studio of an old music school. I feel like a struck gold with this setting. Eventually I noticed that the run down piano in the corner was resonating all my singing and yelling.

So I’m wondering, should I save up money to get it removed? Should I try to deconstruct it myself? Or should I try covering it completely with sound blankets?
 
Is it the strings doing the resonating? I'd stuff blankets or clothing into it, damping the strings.

Or do you mean that the body of the piano is reflecting frequencies you don't want? Covering with a sound blanket would help - probably one of the least expensive solutions.
 
OR you could just put a brick on the dampening pedal...The one to the furthest left... ;)

If the piano is trash they do come apart pretty easily but that harp and sound board have some weight...

Or you could try donating to the local thrift shop and have them pick it up...

Or ronson lighter fluid all over it and throw a match and video the burn

One of my fantasies as a young buck was doing the Hendrix thing jamming on an old upright hard and doing the lighter fluid / match thing and then pushing it over on it's back while it's burning...that would be video worthy.....
 
I was introduced to playing the keys 50+ years ago initially by delivering them / moving them made some Big $$$ $5 a move...course $1.35 an hour was minimum wage back then so $5 for a less than hour delivery was quite wonderous.

two strong backed men and a 4 wheel dolly is all you need to move normal spinets and uprights.
 
I was introduced to playing the keys 50+ years ago initially by delivering them / moving them made some Big $$$ $5 a move...course $1.35 an hour was minimum wage back then so $5 for a less than hour delivery was quite wonderous.

two strong backed men and a 4 wheel dolly is all you need to move normal spinets and uprights.
:ROFLMAO::laughings:You didn't notice me filming your last delivery, you were busy.

 
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two strong backed men and a 4 wheel dolly is all you need to move normal spinets and uprights.
It’s unfortunately in a basement and the corridor upstairs would probably be too tight to pivot the piano!

I managed to wrap some cloths around the strings that were exposed and that definitely cut out at least half of the resonance!

I didnt notice this before but I think someone was experimenting with prepared piano because the insides were devoid of keys and i found nails, some soft blocks and a drumstick under the lid. Curious experience to play the piano like a harp but all the pedals seem to be defunct too :/
 
It’s unfortunately in a basement and the corridor upstairs would probably be too tight to pivot the piano!

I managed to wrap some cloths around the strings that were exposed and that definitely cut out at least half of the resonance!

I didnt notice this before but I think someone was experimenting with prepared piano because the insides were devoid of keys and i found nails, some soft blocks and a drumstick under the lid. Curious experience to play the piano like a harp but all the pedals seem to be defunct too :/
If they got it in there and can get out ...assuredly they did not disassemble it to deliver it...May have to go on one end going out but it will go out..two men with strong backs and a clue as to handling heavy stuff...it's all about balance. Sounds like it's trash There are a lot of them so hard to get someone to take them even for free.

Even though the pedals don't work or are gone...the dampers are very likely there...and can be manually pushed and or braced up against the strings totally dampening the resonance of the strings...I have actually rebuilt a piano before the action ( Hammers and dampers) actually come out pretty easily...post some pics...
 
sounds like somebody pilfered the ivory keys. it's basically trash now. sawzall it into pieces and recycle what you can. Might be some nice wood so I'd try to deconstruct it as carefully as possible. some of the dang things were made of Brazilian rosewood. Ka-ching.
 
sounds like somebody pilfered the ivory keys. it's basically trash now. sawzall it into pieces and recycle what you can. Might be some nice wood so I'd try to deconstruct it as carefully as possible. some of the dang things were made of Brazilian rosewood. Ka-ching.
Yeah, a Brazilian rosewood piano would make a LOT of guitar fretboards.
 
More likely the soundboard would be good fodder for cigar box guitar tops and the like. (Lots of ukes!) Still, possibly a good stack of wood for something! (Some metal scrap place might take the frame, I suppose.)
 
The first acoustic piano I bought was terrible, and wouldn't stay in tune.
When I discovered it had woodworm, it had to go.
I dismantled it, with the assistance of a sledge-hammer, and took most of it to the tip.
The iron frame weighed a ton, and I couldn't even lift it.
I rolled it down the back garden to the site of the shed I was constructing.
To this day, the iron frame is buried in the shed's concrete slab.
 
The first acoustic piano I bought was terrible, and wouldn't stay in tune.
When I discovered it had woodworm, it had to go.
I dismantled it, with the assistance of a sledge-hammer, and took most of it to the tip.
The iron frame weighed a ton, and I couldn't even lift it.
I rolled it down the back garden to the site of the shed I was constructing.
To this day, the iron frame is buried in the shed's concrete slab.

for some reason the iron frame being buried in the concrete slab struck my funny bone :D
 
There are so many terrible grand pianos everywhere simply because getting rid of them is a nightmare!
Reminds me of the old joke about boat owners. What are the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner ? One, the day you buy it, and two, the day you sell it.
 
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