Bob Dillinger - Qualifications for Piano Technician

Click here to see a partial list of concert tunings I have performed.

1977 started as a Trainee for Gribble Piano & Organ Co., Mission, Kansas
1979 continued work as a Trainee with Jenkins Music Co., Kansas City, Missouri
1980 was tested and became an Apprentice member of the Piano Technicians Guild . I apprenticed with Dean Garten.
1980 started learning primary rebuilding and refinishing skills from Greg Frank, Dean Garten, and Cliff Kirton
by rebuilding pianos in the basement of Jenkins Music Company.
1980 PTG annual convention - San Francisco, California.
1981 Yamaha's "Little Red School House" with LaRoy Edwards
1982 Passed the RPT exam.
1984 PTG convention in Kansas City, Missouri
1987 PTG convention in Toronto Canada
1989 PTG convention in St. Louis, Missouri
1995 QRS Pianomation installation school in Seneca, Pennsylvania
1996 Yamaha Disclavier class in store - Jenkins Music Co.
1997 PTG convention in Orlando, Florida
1998 PTG convention in Providence, Road Island
1999 Steinway & Sons workshop - "Comprehensive Piano Service" in New York , New York with John PattonTOP OF PAGE

In addition to the above list I have attended numerous regional, state and local training.

EXPERIENCE: I have tuned thousands of pianos in homes, churches, schools, recording studios, concert halls, night clubs, restaurants, hotels, outdoor events, and to many other places.

1977 - 1978 I tuned Yamaha, Kohler and Campbell, and Currier display floor pianos for Gribble Piano and Organs in Mission, Kansas.
I also did out of store tuning.
1979 - 1980 began working for Jenkins Music Co. Tuned in store and out of store pianos.
I did minor repairs as well. I also developed a private tuning clientele.
1981-87 Guided by Greg Frank, Dean Garten and Cliff Kirton. I started rebuilding pianos for Jenkins Music in the store basement .
Early rebuilding began with Premier, Lester and other such pianos working up to Steinway pianos several years later.
I also did in store and out of store tuning and repairing for Jenkins Music. Duties included tuning Steinway and Yamaha rental and concert artist pianos. I continued developing my private tuning and rebuilding business.
1987 to 1989 I was employed by the University of Missouri at Kansas City under Paul Wolf.
My duties were tuning for concerts, professors, practice and class room, rehearsal halls.
Repair duties included hammer and action part replacement on Steinway pianos, restringing, damper work, and other repairs.
Pianos serviced included Steinway, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, Bosendorfer, Beckstein, Yamaha and others.
Paul Wolf suffered an injury so I had to assume his tuning responsibilities for almost a year at UMKC and for the Kansas City Symphony.TOP OF PAGE

Since then most of my work has been done for a private clientele numbering several hundred.
I do almost all forms of field work, specializing in tuning, voicing and evaluating.
I still have an association with Jenkins Music Company working on their Steinway and Yamaha pianos.
In addition to field work I'm involved in a large amount of piano rebuilding work.

Rebuilding services include:

Refinishing
Soundboard Replacement
Soundboard Repair
Bridge Recapping
Bridge Repair
Pinblock Replacement
Restringing,
Action Replacement
Action Repair
Action Regulating
Damper Action Replacement,
Damper Felt Replacement
Pedal Replacement
Pedal Repair
many other repairs

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I have rebuilt many pianos. I have kept track of many of them and have been pleased with their continued strong performance. I have done a lot of concert tuning and voicing at very prominent performing centers for many prominent artists and entertainers.
Please see attached concert tuning list.

MUSIC BACKGROUND:

Son of a Music Instructor.
Grandfather, Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles taught music and performed music professionally.
Mother taught piano.
Studied Music at University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Studied piano with Dorothy Truitt and Juan LaManna.
Studied music harmony with John Elliott
Played in various profeesional and amatuer music groups

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PTG EXPERIENCE:

Member since 1980
Vice President of Kansas City Chapter Piano Technicians Guild 1984 - 1985.
Delegate at PTG national convention 1997 and 1998.
Chapter President 1996 to present.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
- Dean Garten
- Greg Frank
- Jenkins Music Company
- LaRoy Edwards
- John Elliott
- Paul Wolf
- John Patton
- and all the other people who have taught me and supported my career.
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FUTURE GOALS:
- Continue to gain more skills in every area of my profession.
- Support piano playing and piano sales.
- Help piano manufacturers
- Improve the cultural, spiritual, and economic well being of society though excellence in piano technology.
  I believe the combination of high level tuning and extensive rebuilding experience makes me uniquely qualified for almost any piano related service.
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