Piano Technicians Guild
WESTPAC - Western and Pacific Regional Conference

Norbert Abel - Abel Hammer Company

Norbert Abel has been working in the hammer making business for more than 25 years. He learned his skills for making hammers from his father Helmut. Besides his daily work in production, Norbert is responsible for the commercial part of the Abel Hammer Company. In the past 15 years, Norbert has taught at more than 50 seminars in the United States, Australia, Korea, Japan and Europe. Norbert's goal is to steadily improve the felt material and hammer production process. From 2003 to 2006, he was largely involved in a felt research project sponsored by the European community. The first goal of this research was to find out the status of the felt quality from different manufacturers. The second goal was to develop a high quality felt material. This felt is now used in the hammer production of the Abel Hammer Company under the name Abel Natural Felt.

Back to top

David Andersen

David Andersen has been a professional musician, recording artist, and piano technician/consultant for nearly four decades. He has been involved in the restoration and maintenance of hundreds of Steinway and Mason & Hamlin pianos during that time. Beginning in 1975 he apprenticed for two and a half years under Jack Cofer in Atlanta, Georgia; during the 1980s he studied at Steinway facilities both in New York and London. After moving to Southern California in 1981, David worked extensively with Sherman Clay, the Steinway dealer in most of California at that time, both as a concert/new piano preparation technician and as a quality control consultant/piano prep manager for Asian piano companies affiliated with Sherman Clay. He opened his own boutique piano sales showroom, the Atelier, in late 2005. He sells quality instruments at all price ranges, rents pianos for performances and recording, and presents intimate outdoor concerts and indoor salons with some of the world's finest pianists. Andersen continues to teach various aspects of his craft at Piano Technician's Guild conferences on the local, regional, national and international level. He has held one-day seminars in New York City, Boston, Phoenix, Chicago, Calgary, Baltimore, and Albuquerque, teaching the finer, more subtle aspects of tuning, voicing, regulation, artisanal rebuilding, and diagnostics. His classes always examine how a technician is being as well as what he/she is doing.

Back to top

Sue Babcock, RPT

Sue Babcock has been working as an independent piano technician since 1985. She also works with David Vanderlip in his rebuilding shop. In 1990 she joined the Southern California Area Exam Board as a technical examiner.

Back to top

Rick Baldassin, RPT

Rick received his education and piano technology training from Brigham Young University. He is the author of the book On Pitch, which was recently re-published. Rick served as the Tuning Editor for the Journal from 1987 to 1991. His teaching has taken him to piano factories and conventions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Korea and Australia. Rick has served as the Concert Technician for the Utah Symphony for over 20 years, and has been the Teaching and Technical Consultant for Renner since 1989. He has been trained in the concert and artist programs of Fazioli, Steinway and Yamaha, and has been a consultant to the Falcone, Mason & Hamlin, and Pramberger Piano Companies. Rick also serves as the Technical Support Director for Fazioli in North America. He is a Member of Note, Jim Burton, and Hall of Fame award winner. Rick and his wife Cindy currently operate Baldassin Pianos, a full-line rebuilding and retail showroom located in Salt Lake City.

Back to top

Steve Brady, RPT

Steve Brady was head piano technician at the University of Washington for 25 years, and more recently at the Aspen Music Festival for five years. Steve served as editor of the Piano Technicians Journal from 1995 to 2001. In 1996 he received PTG's "Member of Note" award, and in 1999 PTG published his book, A Piano Technician's Guide to Field Repairs. His latest book, Under the Lid: The Art and Craft of the Concert Piano Technician, was published in 2008. In July of 2012 he was inducted into the PTG Hall of Fame.

Back to top

Bill Brandom, RPT

Bill Brandom is recently retired from active duty at Yamaha, serving now as a consultant, primarily with Disklavier service.  Bill has been at the forefront of DKV service since the product was introduced in 1988.

Back to top

Melanie Brooks - Brooks LTD

Melanie is a third generation PTG member. After obtaining a BA degree in Economics and Business and working in the corporate arena for nearly a decade, she returned to Brooks LTD a family owned piano parts business in 1995, focusing on marketing and technical services. In 2009 she purchased Brooks LTD, carrying into a second generation a close collaboration with technicians and rebuilders providing innovative and specialized products.

Back to top

Wally Brooks, RPT

Wally has been a member of the Connecticut Chapter of PTG for over 50 years. He has over 30-years experience running a complete rebuilding shop including soundboard replacement, pinblock replacement, action replacement and case refinishing. Wally has instructed at over 35 national conventions and countless regional seminars and technicals. He and his wife Vivian were the recipients of the PTG 2006 Golden Hammer Award. Together they established and owned Brooks LTD, a quality rebuilding supplies & piano parts business from 1980-2008.  Brooks LTD has successfully moved into its second generation owned by Melanie Brooks since 2009.

Back to top

Chris Brown, RPT - TPR Tools LLC

Chris has plied the trade since 1977. Most notably, he created the Grandwork™ Regulation Station: a patented suite of tools to make grand action work more predictable, more accurate, and easier to perform. A member of the Boston Chapter, Chris provides tuning, repair, and rebuilding services as Concord Piano LLC .

Back to top

Mark Burgett, RPT - Wessell, Nickel & Gross

Mark started his career in the piano business in 1981 with his brothers Gary and Kirk under the tutoring of Paul Magee in the Sacramento Chapter. In 1988 when PianoDisc was established, Mark was active in training technicians in installation, technical support and development and testing of new product. In 2007 when the company started development of the Composite Action Parts under the name of Wessell, Nickel and Gross, Mark took an active part of educating, marketing and quality control this revolutionary product. Today Mark continues to manage PianoDisc the WNG production, technical support, quality control, training, sales and is involved with the development of new product.

Back to top

Bruce Clark - Wessell, Nickel& Gross

Bruce Clark grew up working in the shop at his father's piano store in Kansas. After college, he began his associations with several manufacturers including Falcone and the Mason & Hamlin division of the Aeolian American Corp. Today he is a senior Design Engineer at Mason & Hamlin and Wessell, Nickel & Gross. Among other achievements, Bruce was the lead design engineer on the new Mason & Hamlin AA-64, B-S4 and CC-94, and also served as one of the lead design engineers for the Wessell, Nickel & Gross Composite Action project.

Back to top

Richard Davenport, RPT

Richard Davenport received a B.A. degree in violin performance from Occidental College, played violin, bass and trumpet professionally in several musical ensembles, and taught junior high school instrumental music before beginning his work on pianos. Richard's mentor, Norman Neblett, provided the majority of Richard's piano technical training. Richard enhanced his concert skills at Yamaha's concert grand factory in Japan, the Fazioli factory in Italy, and the Bösendorfer factory in Austria.

Back to top

David Durben, RPT - Yamaha Corp America

Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, he has served the PTG in many positions. Beginning as President of the MinnKota, ND chapter and during his four years in that position, saw the chapter's membership quadruple. David was the PTG Central West Regional Vice President (1994-1996), Vice President (1996-1998) and President (1998-2000), David has been an instructor at PTG venues across the country, and participated as an instructor for Yamaha's training seminars at their corporate headquarters in Buena Park, CA. Working full time for Yamaha Corporation of America as a piano service specialist, his duties include service assistance for Yamaha, Disklavier, and Boesendorfer pianos, to piano retailers, technicians and consumers.

Back to top

LaRoy Edwards, RPT

LaRoy is a legend in the piano technical community. He is an inventor, gifted teacher charter member of PTG and Golden Hammer award recipient (1987). With Cecil Short, he founded the Pomona Valley chapter and was the first president of Pomona Valley Chapter. He is National Piano Service Mgr. for Yamaha. LaRoy's two daughters will for the first time be in attendance at WestPac V and will be assisting him in the class. Susan and Jane Edwards-Kimball, RPT were official tuners for the Montery Jazz Festival for over 25 years.

Back to top

Dale Erwin, RPT

Dale is a second-generation piano technician. His father, Harold, received training from the venerable William Braid White in 1950. Belonging to a deeply musical family prepared Dale for a career in custom piano restoration and rebuilding. His wife Trix and son Dennis work together with Dale at the family business, Erwin's Piano Restorations in Modesto, California.

Although he started out as a field technician for his dad's Yamaha franchise, his passion for creating his own sound and touch took him out of the field and into the shop full time. His 35-year journey has been one of incredible discovery, high enthusiasm and rich experience -- both personal and musical -- and a steep, constant learning curve, in pursuit of what he terms the "golden piano tone".

His newest ventures are building soundboard panels and pinblocks for the trade, as well as being a Ronsen sales & technical rep. His trademark soundboard design, the "variable radius" soundboard, has been displayed and heard at conventions since the early1990s, including Rochester 2006 and Anaheim 2008.

Back to top

Ken Eschete, RPT, RPT

Ken Eschete has been tuning and restoring pianos since 1974. He has held RPT membership in the Piano Technicians Guild (1976 - 2012), and membership in Australasian Piano Technicians (2011-2013). Having undergone conservation training at the Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg, Ken achieved Professional Associate membership in the American Institute for Conservation.

Following his initial training at North Bennett Street School, Ken started a business in his native New Orleans restoring modern and historic pianos. He went on to become Director of Keyboard Maintenance at Northwestern University in Evanston, Il., where he lead a team of technicians and served as primary concert tuner. Following his retirement from NU, Ken moved to Auckland, NZ where he was the concert tuner for Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. He is now a happy resident of Spokane, USA.

Back to top

Phenoyd Ezra - Classic Woods By Phenoyd, Inc.

Classic Woods is a second-generation company, first started in the '60s, then re-established with Phenoyd at the helm in 1997, in Van Nuys, California. Phenoyd Ezra picked up what he refers to as an "old-world craftsmanship" from his father, learning what could be referred to as a guild-hall, or "closed" trade, known by only a few, growing up in a company owned by his father. Classic Woods is known throughout the western United States for its tradition of excellence. With a consistent output of custom-quality work for two generations, they provide expert piano refinishing in all conceivable styles and color ranges; one of their secrets is taking the time to properly evaluate and prepare all of pianos before refinishing.

Back to top

Roger Gable, RPT - Moondog Manufacturing

Roger has been a piano technician for 50 years and developed the Moondog grand piano tilter.

Back to top

Anne Garee, RPT - Florida State University

Anne Garee, Program Director for Piano Technology, has enjoyed her career as piano technician at the Florida State University College of Music since 1983. She joined the faculty in 2004 and directs the Master of Arts in Piano Technology program mentoring trained piano technicians in one of the most comprehensive colleges of music in the nation She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and completed a three year apprenticeship program for the Certificate in Piano Technology from the Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, she is an active clinician both in the U.S. and abroad.

Back to top

Nick Gravagne, RPT

Nick Gravagne has been a prolific writer for the Piano Technicians Journal, as well as a frequent teacher at P.T.G. National and State Conventions, and many regional seminars and technicals nationwide. A technician since 1973, and an RPT since 1975, much of Nick's business currently revolves around rebuilding and soundboard manufacture for the trade, and is active in concert prep and maintenance of fine grand pianos. Nick has also served as the Technical Service Manager for Kawai America Pianos. His credentials and awards include a BA from William Paterson University, an AST in Mechanical Engineering, and the PTG Member of Note Award. Nick most recently received the Hall of Fame Award at the Annual Convention in Seattle.

Back to top

Peggy Gravagne, RPT

As a member of PTG for 36 years, Peggy has been involved in every aspect of the piano technical business field, as well as piano rebuilding. In addition, Peggy works with Nick Gravagne in the manufacture of new soundboards. She is a graduate of the Yamaha Little Red School House and the Yamaha Concert Artist Class, and most recently completed the Shiguru Kawai Technical Academy. Peggy has taught at many state and national conventions with emphasis on piano prep and applied skills.

Back to top

Ward Guthrie, RPT

Ward has been a PTG member since 1974 and is a recipient of the PTG "Member of Note" award. He was Regional Vice President of the Pacific Northwest Region for three years and PTG Institute Director in Grand Rapids and Seattle. He has won three PTG "Presidential Citations" as well as awards for "Outstanding Leadership", "PTG Cog" and "James H. Burton" awards from Pacific Northwest Region.

Back to top

Scott Jones, RPT - PitchLock Inc.

Scott Jones began his career as a piano technician in 1984, after receiving a BM degree in music composition from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From 1989 to 2001, he was employed by Steinway & Sons, New York, where he held positions as concert technician, technical seminar instructor and product development technician. From 2001 to present, he developed the PitchLock string coupler and TouchRail systems. Scott has authored 6 U.S. patents in the field of Piano Technology, most recently receiving a patent for the TouchRail concept.

Back to top

Edward Klein, RPT

Edward Klein, RPT was trained at the North Bennett Street School in Boston in 1972. He has owned piano service businesses in Boston, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles. He is also co-owner of Websites With Ease, a website company specializing in piano technician websites. He enjoys teaching piano technicians about effective online marketing strategies.

Back to top

Keith Kopp, RPT

Keith has served as a tuning examiner, instructor and tutor on local, regional, and national levels for over 15 years. He has had experience as an audio sound engineer and has two sons in this field which has given him a unique insight on the relationship of sound and basic tuning theory.

Back to top

Carl Lieberman, RPT - Reyburn Piano Service

Carl is a member of the CyberTuner Development Team, creating, optimizing and expanding the software's capabilities. He is currently the staff piano technician at the Village Recording Studio in West Los Angeles.

Back to top

Don Mannino, RPT - Kawai America

Don began an apprenticeship with a piano rebuilder while completing his studies at San Diego State University as a piano performance major in 1979. After working for 11 years as an independent piano technician in the San Diego area, he was Service Manager for Young Chang Pianos, then Manager of Technical Support for Kawai, and now serves as the Director of Field Services for Kawai. Don and his wife Patty are the editors of the Southern California PTG newsletter. In 2010 he was certified in Japan as a Kawai "Master Piano Artisan" (or MPA), the highest level of technician for the Kawai company. In 2013 Mr. Mannino was inducted into the PTG Hall of Fame.

Back to top

Robert A. Marinelli, RPT - Pianotek Supply Company

Robert Marinelli, founder and president of Pianotek Supply Co., has been an RPT since 1976. He began his technical career working in a cabinet shop with Henry Ford's personal cabinetmaker. He owned and operated a piano rebuilding shop in the Detroit area for seven years. At Pianotek, Bob has been involved with new product development and manufacturing replacement keyboards for the trade. He is an active clinician both in the U.S. and abroad.

Back to top

Ralph Miyashiro, RPT

Ralph Miyashiro is an RPT who has served on the Southern California Area Exam Board. He is currently staff technician for the School of Music and Dance at San Diego State University.

Back to top

Randy Morton - Pacific Piano Supply/Tokiwa Action Parts

Randy Morton is the president of Pacific Piano Supply Co. Randy, along with his brother Rob Morton and Mike Farnell operate the company at the Chatsworth CA location. Paicific Piano Supply Co. was founded in 1946 by Don Morton - PTG Past President and Golden Hammer recipient. Since 1992 Pacific Piano Supply Co. has been the exclusive USA and Canada distributor of the Tokiwa Action Parts. Randy has made numerous trips to the Tokiwa factory in Hamamatsu Japan.

Back to top

Ray Negron - Ronsen Piano Hammer Co.

Ray is a second generation piano hammer maker, following in the footsteps of his father, Marty Negron, who was co-founder of Ronsen Piano Hammer Co. as well as former manager at Pfriemer Piano Hammer Co. Ray started working summers at Ronsen in 1961, and has been working full time since 1971, becoming company president in 1983. Ray is always looking to learn more about piano hammers, and enjoys talking with piano technicians regarding hammers, but will always find time for a conversation about baseball. www.ronsen-hammer.com

Back to top

Tremaine Parsons, RPT

Tremaine Parsons, RPT, was introduced to Piano Technology in 1969 when his piano technician (after a fourth call back) taught him to re-glue upright jack posts using two kitchen knives and a piece of coat hanger to clear the mortise. Seeking higher standards, Tremaine attended the North Bennet St. School of Piano Technology graduating in 1974. While building a successful tuning, repair, and rebuilding business in the suburbs of Boston MA, Tremaine became interested in computers during the mid '80s and released his first version of Pscale (piano scaling program) three months after seeing a demonstration of the Atari scaling program at a chapter meeting held at Inventronics in 1989. In 1992, Tremaine relocated to California and, while building a new tuning clientele during that decade, established Sierra Software Services, ported Pscale to the Windows platform, and developed the Ptools Client Management program. Since then, Tremaine has developed several additional computer related Piano Technology Tools.

Back to top

Randy Potter, RPT - Randy Potter School of Piano Technology - Portland, OR

Randy is the founder and director of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology which has become the largest producer of training materials for piano technicians in the world. Randy has written three books, and he is the editor of The Piano Action Handbook, third edition, published by the Piano Technicians Guild. He has produced numerous technical articles and over a dozen technical training video tapes. Randy is a frequent instructor at local, state, regional and national PTG conventions, and has taught at seminars in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Cuba. Randy is the 2009 recipient of the Piano Technicians Guild Hall of Fame award in recognition of service to PTG and the industry.

Back to top

Paul Rea - Hailun Pianos - Vienna International

Paul Rea is the Director of Product Development & Quality Control for Hailun, Sauter & Petrof. He applies his knowledge of quality and production while dedicating nine months out of the year working in the factory. Directing all aspects "from birth to box!" A European, Asian, and US factory trained Technician, Paul says that with 39 plus years in the music industry "There is nothing I can't do to a piano, and if there is… I know someone who can." As a certified Piano Disc and QRS player system installer/technician, and quite proficient at touch up and repair of polyester and conventional finishes, Paul has "sat in every seat in the house" from bookkeeping, salesman, store manager, technician, factory tech, as well as owning a retail store with his parents. Paul also owned a successful tuning, rebuilding, refinishing and piano moving company for 25 plus years.

Back to top

David Reed - Kawai America

David Reed began working on pianos in 1980 in Fort Worth, Texas and became a RPT in 1989. He eventually became the National Service Manager for Yamaha from 2005 to 2010 and taught classes at national and regional conventions. After serving briefly as the National Service Manager for Pearl River, David joined Kawai in 2011 as its National Service Manager.

Back to top

Nate Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn CyberTuner

Nate trained in piano technology both with Dean (his dad) and through North Bennet Street School's advanced Piano Technology course in Boston, Massachusetts, and passed his RPT exams in 2008. Nate's passions are not only for piano tech but for making tools for the trade, including the Reyburn CyberHammer, the industry's finest impact tuning hammer. Nate and his wife Bethann live near Grand Rapids, Michigan where he maintains his piano service and premium tools business. www.reyburn.com

Back to top

Isaac Sadigursky, RPT

Isaac has run an independent piano Service business for 40 years in metropolitan Los Angeles Area. Isaac had worked for several l.a. area Piano dealers, apprenticed in workshop, studied at American Piano Technology Institute under late Dennis Nicholson, RPT. In his 40-years career, Isaac had performed about 75,000 tunings. Isaac had presented classes on piano technology to many local chapters, had taught at many State and National Conventions since 1987, presenting various classes on basic and complicated repairs in the field and in the shop, and many business and tuning classes.

Back to top

Paul Sanderson, President of Inventronics, Inc.

Paul has been involved with the production of the Sanderson Accu-Tuner since its beginning in 1982. As Al Sanderson retired from Inventronics, Paul transitioned to be responsible for the Accu-Tuner from development to production and distribution. Paul oversees all phases to assure that the SAT continues to be the finest electronic tuning aid in the industry. When Al passed away in November 2008, the continuation of Inventronics and the Accu-Tuner was already mapped out.

Paul, his wife Wendy and three children have seen quite a change since starting production with Al in the family basement in 1982. Paul, Brian Day and Donna Goulet work together to keep their customers happy.

Back to top

Eric Schandall, RPT - https://sites.google.com/site/ericschandall/

Eric Schandall has worked in the piano industry since 1967, most recently as the Administrator/Teacher of Technical Training and Education at the C F Theodor Steinway Technical Academy at Steinway & Sons in New York City. This position also incorporated work in the roster of concert technicians in the Concert and Artists Department at Steinway Hall in Manhattan, across North America, and in China and Russia. He also worked as a College and University technician in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for over 25 years. Since 2008 he has made his home in Oslo, Norway where he is responsible for the concert pianos at the New Norske Opera and Ballet, also traveling throughout the country working freelance for the Steinway Piano Gallery, Oslo, the franchised Dealer for Steinway & Sons in Norway. He has provided services for a variety of music festivals in Norway including the Festspillene i Bergen,the Grieg International Piano Competiton, and regularly provides services for the Norsk Musikkhøgskole in Oslo and for recordings for several record labels. Eric has also continued to teach, most recently in England, Sweden, Denmark, China, and the United States. His lectures have been well received by the technical community and provide an excellent opportunity for other technicians to benefit from his wide range of experience both as a concert technician and a teacher.

Back to top

Steve Schell, RPT

Steve Schell has been an RPT member of PTG since 1978. He served as a member of the Southern California Area Examination Board for fourteen years, and has held various offices in the South Bay Chapter. Steve is always looking around the next bend for new ways to improve his piano service work.

Back to top

Kathy Smith, RPT

David Vanderlip and Kathy Smith are a husband-and-wife team with a varied business in Southern California. They have both been in the piano tech business for over 30 years. They work with schools, concert halls and private clients, and have a small rebuilding shop at their home in Anaheim. They are both active with the local exam board, giving tuning and technical exams to six chapters. They have both been teaching, together and separately, at local chapter meetings and regional and national conventions, for 20 years.

Back to top

Bruce Stevens, RPT

Bruce Stevens connection to the piano began at age 7 when he started piano lessons. By the end of High School, he was an accomplished classical pianist. After two years of college studying electronics, he started his career as a piano technician in 1978. His business today includes in-home service and complete restoration of fine pianos. His service to the Piano Technicians Guild has included classes at the chapter, regional conference and annual conventions; leadership as president in the South Bay chapter, Conference Director several times for the California State Conference, Conference Coordinator and Board President of the California State Conference, Board President and current Institute Director for the WestPac Conference and last but not least, service to the Piano Technicians Guild Annual Convention as AV Director.

Back to top

Jeff Stevens, RPT

After graduating high school in 2002, Jeff worked with his dad, Bruce, for the next three years in his piano restoration shop. In 2004, Jeff attended the Piano Technology Program at the University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario. Upon returning to California in 2005, Jeff took his PTG exams and became an RPT. He then began to build his piano service business which today includes private customers in Northern California, the Central Coast and Southern California. He is also the technician for Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and for Long Beach City College.

Back to top

Starr Taylor, RPT

Starr Taylor has been tuning and rebuilding pianos since 1985. He studied aural piano tuning with Andrew Snowden from 1985-1987 and was doing terrible tunings for the first couple of years. A journeyman machinist, he brings a high tolerance viewpoint to working with wood. An advocate of Stanwood action protocols and Ronsen Piano hammers, he strives for a smooth warm tone when installing soundboards. A guild member since 1988, he is past-president of the local PTG Chapter #337.

Back to top

Steve Taylor

Growing up in the family business with one of the largest Baldwin piano dealers and a service department with an active customer base in the ten thousands, Steve was literally raised by piano technicians. Following military service and college, Mr. Taylor joined Marriott Corporation as a restaurant management trainee and worked up the ladder to District Manager; during that time, also serving as a certified trainer in management and leadership. Steve moved forward with a Marriott Vice-President to help form a new restaurant company in the Mid-Atlantic region and advancing to Director of Operations, overseeing the building and management of a multi-unit restaurant venture; a business that today is a quarter billion dollar corporation. After 20 plus years in the restaurant industry, Steve returned to the piano trade in sales and operations management with one of the largest Steinway and Yamaha dealers for 12 years. Then starting Professional Piano Technicians Association (ProPTA), offering business support for piano technicians and producing professional seminars. He most recently joined the management team at Allied Piano LakeOne USA. Steve has been privileged in serving as the creator and driving force behind the PTG Mid-Atlantic Regional Convention (MARC) these past 14 years.

Back to top

Carl Teel

Carl has been repairing and restoring pianos for over 30 years. He has been a member of PTG since 1976, and since 1979 has served continuously as Treasurer of the Salt Lake City Chapter. Carl was instrumental in running the Utah Intermountain Seminar for a number of years. He is a popular instructor at local, regional and national conventions, and is a consultant to piano technicians throughout Utah.

Back to top

David Vanderlip, RPT

David Vanderlip and Kathy Smith are a husband-and-wife team with a varied business in Southern California. They have both been in the piano tech business for over 30 years. They work with schools, concert halls and private clients, and have a small rebuilding shop at their home in Anaheim. They are both active with the local exam board, giving tuning and technical exams to six chapters. They have both been teaching, together and separately, at local chapter meetings and regional and national conventions, for 20 years.

Back to top

Anthony Willey, RPT

Anthony Willey offers more than 10 years of experience in piano technology. He underwent 4 years of training at the Brigham Young University piano shop under technicians Keith Kopp and James Busby, and is a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, having passed a series of examinations on the maintenance, repair, and tuning of pianos. Anthony tunes using a combination of professional piano tuning software and aural tuning. Anthony also holds a Masters degree in physics from Brigham Young University, and has 25 years of experience as a classical musician, playing and teaching multiple instruments including the string bass, violin and piano. He also designed and built a fully functional harpsichord. He has tuned for various artists, including The Piano Guys, Peter Breinholt, and The 5 Browns.

Back to top

Ruth Zeiner, RPT

Ruth (Phillips) Zeiner had spent 18 years as a piano technician prior to delving into finish repairs and restoration when, in 1995, Allied Piano was asked to take on the Konig polyester and lacquer repair products line. With experience in customer relations as well as the practical aspects of piano cabinet maintenance, she can guide you in this increasingly important part of piano service. Her goal is helping others succeed in their dealings with their clients. www.alliedpiano.com

Back to top