Strip mute or not?

[Jim]

Dear Ted:

I had just mentioned in another post recently that I tune from the lowest
plain strings, doing unisons all the way to the top. Then I tune the Bass
last in case there has been the least shift in the Tenor, I adjust the
pitch level to that section and then tune the Bass so that the finished
result matches at the break.  I tune the treble unisons with the machine,
(each individual string).  I did this at Dearborn, and the class was just
amazed at how clean everything was.  Several commented likewise the same
to me privately.

Jim Coleman, Sr. (AZ)


On Fri, 9 Aug 1996, Ted Simmons wrote:

> I guess there has always been a controversy on whether to strip mute or
> not.  If a piano is at pitch at A-440 I don't bother strip muting.
> Otherwise I do.  I once went to visit a tuner friend and interrupted him
> while tuning his piano with a SAT.  He used a Papps mute throughout.  I had
> just bought my SAT and hadn't yet used it, so I asked him if I could watch
> and see how he uses it.  He tuned the left string with the SAT, then the
> right string with the SAT, then the center string with the SAT.  Never once
> did any checks.  He finished tuning the piano and invited me to check it
> out.  I did and it was horrible.  Like I said I came in the middle of it
> and don't know how flat it was to start with, but I was obviously skeptical
> about the method he used.  I'd like to hear from Jim Coleman, Sr. on this.
> Jim, are you there?  Also, is it advisable to start tuning from A0?  Where
> are the checks?
>
> >    "To strip mute or not to strip mute?  That is the question."
> >
> >    When you're using your SAT how many of you strip mute the entire piano?
> >    or any portion of it?
> >
> >   i have found that starting at A0, and tuning unisons as I go, the piano
> >is more stable (closer to where you want it when finished) when I finish
> >a pitch raise, and for that matter, the final tuning.  I used to
> >strip mute when I first learned about it in the late '70's, but there
> >was an old-timer in our area who always said that he thought tuning unisons as
> >you go was better. I have found that to be true.
> >
> >vince mrykalo  rpt
> >byu provo utah
>
>
>