The ProPTN Podcast

Natural Finishes, Old Soundboards, and Rebuilding Steinways with Oliver Greinus

In this episode, we sit down with former Hamburg Steinway technician and soundboard extraordinaire Oliver Greinus. Oliver is one of the co-founders of Klangmanufaktur, a workshop that specializes in rebuilding Steinways as well as providing rehearsal space and practice rooms for Hamburg's musical community. Following our tour of the workshop, Oliver sat down with me to talk about their reasoning for leaving Steinway in order to create their own uniquely rebuilt instruments; why old soundboards should never be replaced; doing away with polyester in favor of natural oil finishes; replacing lead weights with CKM brass; their rental program for connecting musicians and institutions with quality pianos; and the curriculum for their singular week-long training seminar. -Klangmanufaktur website [https://www.klangmanufaktur.de/en/home/#home] and Instagram page [https://www.instagram.com/klang_manufaktur/] -Registration [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhjUjnzxI0hf0yUmZXfCiSrMF761jajE9ii1bf5hnqkSGLvg/viewform] for the June 22-28 training seminar, as well as the course information sheet [https://www.klangmanufaktur.de/wp-content/uploads/Info-sheet-KLANGseminar-1.pdf]. For questions or assistance, you can send an email to piano@klangmanufaktur.de. If you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/proptn/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalPianoTechniciansNetwork]... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.proptn.org/] to learn more!

Scaling, Designing Pianos From Scratch, and Experiments in Sound with Michael Spreeman

In this episode, we sit down with Ravenscroft mastermind, Renner Academy [https://www.renneracademy.org/] instructor, manufacturing guru, and piano design innovator Michael Spreeman to talk about the process of designing a piano from scratch; conducting experiments in sound; creating a luxury-piano brand; and the details of piano construction which average technicians will constantly overlook. -Ravenscroft Pianos [https://ravenscroftpianos.com/] -The Ravenscroft Pianos Concert Hall [https://theravenscroft.com/] -⁠Nick Gravange legacy page and obituary⁠ [https://www.legacy.com/legacy/nicholas-gravagne?ttm_pid=211264338&ttm_affiliate=legacyremembers&ttm_affiliatetype=standard&ttm_campaign=legacy] (where you may also pay to plant a tree or send flowers in his honor) -"Setting Up Shop: Commercial Edition [https://www.proptn.org/post/setting-up-shop-commercial-edition]" article featuring Michael Spreeman -Ravenscroft 275 Virtual Instrument [https://www.vilabsaudio.com/Ravenscroft-By-VI-Labs] -Ravenscroft 220 Virtual Instrument [https://www.primestudio.at/en/plugins/rav-220] If you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/proptn/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalPianoTechniciansNetwork]... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.proptn.org/] to learn more!

Action Parts, Polymers, and the Future of Piano Design with Tim Balke

In this episode, we sit down with piano technician and rebuilder Tim Balke, who is one of the co-founding masterminds behind FB Flexure [https://www.fbflexure.com/]: a Utah-based company that has just revealed a potentially game-changing new action part design which could revolutionize manufacturing in the years to come. In addition to discussing the invention, we talk about the evolution of the piano; innovations that succeeded and failed throughout history; compliant mechanisms; the engineering and chemistry behind material science; and what piano manufacturers will need to do in order to carry on. -"Manufacturing Innovation: A Historical Overview [https://www.proptn.org/post/manufacturing-innovation-a-historical-overview]" article -“Manufacturing Refinement: A Historical Overview [https://www.proptn.org/post/manufacturing-refinement-a-historical-overview]” — Part 2 in Tim’s article series -“Why Machines That Bend Are Better” video on compliant mechanisms If you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/proptn/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalPianoTechniciansNetwork]... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.proptn.org/] to learn more!

Upgrading Pianos, Brokerage, and the State of the Industry with Hannah Beckett

In this episode, we sit down with Piano Buyer CEO Hannah Beckett to share a "State of the Union" address about the current predicaments of the industry; the obstacles keeping clients from upgrading to better pianos; how to confidently guide clients through the upgrading process; and how we can all come together to protect the industry in an uncertain future. -Piano Buyer App on the App Store [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/piano-buyer/id6443991779] -Piano Buyer App on the Google Store [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androiid.pianobuyer_paid] -"The Value of Condemning Pianos [https://www.proptn.org/post/the-value-of-condemning-expired-pianos]" article -"The Art of Condemning Pianos [https://www.proptn.org/post/the-art-of-condemning-pianos]" article -Free "Model and Price Supplement" PDF and printed book for sale [https://www.pianobuyer.com/books] -Write to us for our Letters to the Editor segment! [https://www.proptn.org/letters-to-the-editor] If you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/proptn/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalPianoTechniciansNetwork]... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.proptn.org/] to learn more!

Dealership Prep, In-Home Voicing, and Midwest Piano Care with Morgan Cowell

In this episode, we sit down with ProPTN contributor, rebuilder, technician, and dealership owner Morgan Cowell of Great Plains Piano [https://www.greatplainspiano.com/] to discuss his biggest failures in rebuilding; the duty of the technician to facilitate client upgrades; handling bad pianos in isolated areas; building trust with clients; and how pianos are only as good as the technicians who maintain them. -“Setting Up Shop: Commercial Edition [https://www.proptn.org/post/setting-up-shop-commercial-edition]” article -Original ProPTN tools [https://www.proptn.org/category/proptn-tools] for sale -Letters to the Editor [https://www.proptn.org/letters-to-the-editor] submission page If you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/proptn/] and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalPianoTechniciansNetwork]... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.proptn.org/] to learn more!