APPALACHIAN PIANO TECH CAMP
Registration is now closed. Please email maggie at maggie@pianotechmaggie.com if you would like to be put on the wait list for this year and/or the mailing list for next year. Thank you for your interest!
ABOUT
This is a 2 day workshop for piano technicians to learn more about the regulation and repair of pianos.
Our 2026 camp will be held May 15 & 16 (arrive May 14 & leave May 17). The cost is $100-$200 depending on accommodations. Registration is now open.
The Folklife Center is located at 820 Rocky Mount Road; Pipestem, WV 25979. One road you do NOT want to take is Pipestem Knob Road. (It's not only a private road, low riding cars can bottom out or get stuck.) Once you are on Indian Ridge Road, stay on that until you get to Rocky Mount Road, then turn left. Most map programs are correct about everything else. There will be a medium size sign for the Center. Turn right onto the gravel drive just before the sign. At the fork with the welcome bear, veer left. Parking is in the field on the left hand side. Those in the semi-private-room dorm may park near that dorm. If you want to get your food into the pantry and fridges when you arrive, continue past the parking, around the loop, and park in front of the larger hall to unload. The women's and men's dorms are on the left after the hall. You may want to park in the section of field that is closest to your dorm.
John Parham, our station creation wizard, will share files before the event with directions for logging our devices into his video storehouse.
Tentative work stations include:
1. Install a string, hitch pin loop, string splice
2. Travel grand hammers
3. How to read a micrometer
4. How to set up a grand hammer hanging jig
5. How to use a Renner hammer-boring jig
6. Rebush keys, fix key spacing, fix key tilt
7. Repin flanges
8. Fix stripped screws
9. Fix a loose rib
10. Fix a broken upright hammer shank
11. Fix a broken upright damper spring
12. Grand damper wire bending
13. Several action models for regulation practice
14. Do-No-Harm Vertical Damper Wire Bending
15. Use a gram gauge
16. Broken agraffe repair
17. Remove a hammer from the shank, then glue it back
18. Install a new tuning pin on a grand using a pinblock jack and floor floor jack for support
19. Replace broken wippen cord, unpin and repin the jack, then use gram gage to verify friction
20. Bed a grand action keyframe
21. Tilt a piano with a tilter
22. Regulation troubleshooting
PLEASE read about the facilities: This is a relatively primitive campground. There is a ladies dorm, a mens dorm, a co-ed dorm with sectioned off rooms, and areas for camping. BASIC room and board is included in the price of $100. The mens and ladies dorms have bathrooms with 2 showers, 2 sinks, and 2 toilets with dividers. The co-ed dorm has 2 separate bathrooms with a shower, sink, and toilet in each. There are no private rooms with their own private bathroom. ALL beds are single sleeper bunk beds. You must bring your own bedding/sleeping bag, pillow, towel, etc. There is a primitive camping area for tents or campers but no water, or "hook ups". We do have a few locations that can have an extension cord. We will have a few tents available for loan. Please click here for more information.
Regarding food: There will be coffee and hot water available 24/7. Food will be put out buffet style during the day, and will include oatmeal, PB&J, and beans & rice. There will also be some snacks available, including ramen and mac&cheese singles. All hot food will be vegan; all else will be vegetarian except regular marshmallows for the fire circle s'mores. For those who wish to bring their own food, there are 3 refrigerators and a pantry. The commercial kitchen (fully stocked with pots/pans, dish-ware, silverware, etc.) can accommodate some who wish to prepare their own food, although we may have to stagger a bit. There is also an outdoor gas grill. Saturday evening will include an optional fire circle with marshmallows (I will have vegan marshmallows available) and s'mores, pending weather.
If anyone wants better accommodations, there are several locations nearby but one must cover that cost on their own. Pipestem State Park is the closest. Pipestem Place Log Cabins is the next closest. Bluestone State Park cabins are only 15 minutes away. There are some other places that have cabins or B & B, but those are scattered and constantly change, so you will have to find those on your own. There is a restaurant available at Pipestem State Park.
