On a large p/r I set the VT to A = +8 cents with an additional 10% overpull in the treble starting at A4. Second pass +4 with treble overpull if needed. Subsequent passes are either 440 or 441 (+4c). I'm a smooth-pull tuner. A newbee who learned the jerk-style method watched me tune and saw the benefit and does it now. I look at it like moving a piano, you don't slam your body into it to move it, you apply increasing more force until the object moves. It's more controllable for me. The only impact I use is light taps to address pin torque. I like to feel how much torque is in the pin so I can set a solid tuning. I've watched tuners use the jerk method and it seemed to me they were chasing the pitch more than needed. A smooth technique pulls it right in. Listening to a jerk-style tuning is very annoying to me. As far as the breaking strings, change your style a little, smaller impacts for instance might reduce stress on the wire. Try a smooth pull technique. -- Regards, Jon Page
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