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Lawrence J. Cook Memorial Lending Library

To check out a book,
contact our librarian.

       Larry Cook was a long-time member and President of the San Francisco chapter of the PTG. Our chapter library has a large selection of books, pamphlets and videos about piano technology & history, excellent resources to prepare for RPT exams, plus items of interest to all piano techs. These are available for loan to current members.

Books, manuals, and other print media:

A Guide To Restringing, by John W. Travis

A Treatise on the Art of Pianoforte Construction, by S. Wolfenden

Apprentice Training Manual, by Randy Potter

Art Of Tuning The Piano, by Herman Smith

Art of Wood Finishing, The by H. Behlen

Baldwin Piano Service Manual - Grands, Studios, Consoles, Spinets by Baldwin

Baldwin Grand Piano Service Manual, by Baldwin

Building A Lathe, by A.W. Burford

But You Can Feel It, by Emil Fries

Calculating Technician, The, by David Roberts

Children of Dipsea, The, by CF Brughere

Creation Of Sound, by Kawai

Determination of Piano String Tensions, by Klaus Fenner

Educated Piano, The, by Edward McMorrow

Electronic Piano Tuning, by Floyd A. Stevens

Fundamentals of musical Acoustics, by Arthur H. Benade

Guide To Restringing, A, by John W. Travis

Harpsichord Manual, by Hanns Neupert

Harpsichord Regulating and Repairing, by Frank Hubbard

I Really Should Be Practicing, by Gary Graffman

Keyboard Instruments, by Clive Unger-Hamilton

Larousse Encyclopedia of Music

Let’s Tune Up, by John W. Travis

Lou Harrison’s Music Primer, by Lou Harrison

Michel’s Organ Atlas, by N.E. Michel

Michel’s Piano Atlas, by N.E. Michel

Music for the Millions, by Van Allen Bradley

Musical Engineering, by Harry F. Olsen

New Techniques For Superior Aural Tuning, by Virgil E. Smith

Niles Bryant School Manual

On Pitch, by Rick Baldassin

On the Calculation of the Tension of Wound Strings, by Klaus Fenner

Organs Construction and Tuning/ Player Piano, by Oliver C. Faust

PACE Lessons 1-7, by PTG

PACE Lessons 8-19, by PTG

People And Pianos, by Theodore E. Steinway

Piano -- Its Acoustics, by. W.V. McFerrin

Piano Action Handbook, by PTG

Piano Action Handbook (1991), by Randy Potter/PTG

Piano Book, The, by Larry Fine

Piano Facts, by Bill Finnegan

Piano Key and Whippen, The, by Walter Pfeiffer

Piano Nomenclature, by Nikolaus Schimmel and H. K. Herzog

Piano Owner’s Guide, by Carl Schmeckel

Piano Parts and Their Functions, by Merle H. Mason

Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding, 1st Ed., by Arthur Reblitz

Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding, 2nd Ed., by Arthur Reblitz

Piano Shop on the Left Bank, The, by Thad Carhart

Piano Technician’s Guide to Field Repairs, A, by Stephen H. Brady

Piano Tuning and Allied Arts, by W.B. White

Piano, The, by Philip Gurlik

Pianoforte and its Music, The, by Henry Edward Krehbiel

Pianos and their Makers, by Alfred Dolge

Pianos In Practice, by Eric Smith

Pre-Screening Manual, by PTG

Principles of Player Action Operation, by Standard Player Action Co.

Professional Piano Tuning, by W. Dean Howell

Randy Potter Course, by Randy Potter

Regulating Grand Piano Touch and Tone, by Danny L. Boone

Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments, The

Service Manual for the 64 Note And 80 Note Standard Pneumatic Action, by Vestal Press

Steinway, by Ronald Ratcliffe

Steinway Saga, The, by DW Fostle

Steinway Service Manual, by Steinway

Talking About Pianos, by Steinway Co.

Technical Examination, The: A Source Book, by PTG

Temperament, by Stuart Isacoff

Theory and Tuning: Aron’s Meantone Temperment and Marpurg’s “I”, by John Link

Theory and Practice of Pianoforte Building, by WB White

Tuner’s Guide: Piano Forte, Organ, Melodeon, and Seraphine, by Oliver Ditson

Tuner’s Pocket Companion, by Oliver C. Faust

Tuning, by Owen Jorgensen

Tuning Examination, The: A Source Book, by PTG

Understanding Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley

Vertical Regulation, by Yamaha

Vom Hammer (in German), by Walter Pfeiffer

What Makes Music Work, by Seyer, Novick, and Harmon

Wonders of the Piano, The, by Catherine C. Bielefeldt

Other media:

A Portrait of a Piano Maker;  Seiler;  Video;  Reference

Aftertouch The Secret Of Ultimate Piano;  Yamaha;  Video & Softcover; 46p;  Regulation

Grand Action Regulation in 37 Steps;  Yamaha;  Video/ Booklet;  Tutorial

Key Leveling Made Easy;  Meyer, Carl W.;  Video;  Reference

S.F. Young Pianist Competition;  Audio Tape

Additional online resources:

A catalog of volumes in the Steve Jellen Library, housed by the PTG Foundation in Kansas City, Kansas, has links to those volumes available for free as digital copies.

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A list of tuning and repair manuals over 100 years old is maintained by the PTG Foundation.  Links take visitors to free downloads of digital copies.

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