Whenever there is a new invention, it is natural to see excitement. However, as we are know, new inventions can give rise to both pros and cons. Don Gilmore, a Kansas City mechanical engineer, has recently created a self-tuning piano kit that could change the entire piano industry. This latest invention could benefit pianists all around the world. At the same time, it could also make the job of a piano tuner disappear.
Furthermore, this computerised device could possibly cost as little as $300. At the same time, this kit would add an additional layer of complexity to an instrument that already has thousands of moving parts. Don, who works for the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, is both a pianist and an inventor. He once belonged to the guild as well.
There were mixed feelings about his invention. Shawn Bruce, the marketing manager of the guild, wasn’t too concerned by it. “It’s just a tool like any other tool. But it’s not going to put piano technicians out of business. If the system works and proves economically viable, somebody’s going to have to install and maintain it, and that would be piano techs,” he explained.
Don works on the self tuner from the lower level of his downtown loft. He has a deconstructed piano placed in the middle of the room, where he tests and refines his invention, along with other gadgets and tools. He is still a year away from completion though. “You’d press a button, and then all of the strings start vibrating as if you’re drawing a violin bow across them. They’ll change in temperature until they’re in tune. When they stop vibrating, you know it’s done. Almost all musicians can tune their own instrument, and they can do it anytime they want, every day if they want. The pianist is one of the only exceptions, and it’s a pain to get your piano tuned. It’s like a hundred bucks,” explained Don. With his invention, the tuning process will take less than a minute to complete. For the full article, do check it out here.
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