Pitch Raising (was Otto Higel)

[Les Smith]

On Tue, 12 Mar 1996, Dean L. Reyburn, RPT wrote:

> Ty Fairchild writes: ( I think it was Ty)
> >:> This technique [tuning just the center string, then one edge, then
> >:the other edge]  results in less strain on the plate as the tension is
> >:> distributed more evenly and gradually, which is surely a comfort when
> >:> pulling up old pianos. It also results in far fewer strings breaking,
> >:> and perhaps more importantly, ends up with a vastly more stable
> >:> instrument.
> >:
> Allen Leigh writes:
> >:Ty, I can understand why that technique reduces the strain on the
> >:plate because, as you said, the stress is distributed more evenly,
> >:and I can understand that this would give a more stable tuning.  I
> >:don't understand why this would result in less string breakage.  If
> >:you could elaborate on this, I would be grateful.
> >
> Ty Fairchild writes:
> >Ummm.  I was hoping no one would ask. ;-) It is a cold stone fact that
> >using this method results in less string breakage, but I have no clue
> >as to why. Sorry. But if any one else knows, I, too, am all ears.  :-)
> >
> I have been doing research for some time on pitch raising with the
> Accu-Tuner, and have to disagree strongly with Ty Fairchild.  My study
> shows that the best method is simply to start at the lowest note on the
> piano, and move up the piano chromatically, pulling the unisons up as you
> go.

<snip>

> Dean

Dean, it's interesting to note, from an historical perspective, how sometimes
modern thinking manages to catch up to the past. Your method of pitch-raising
by starting on the lowest note and then moving up the piano chromatically,
pulling up the unisons as you go, was advocated by William Braid White eighty
years ago! It does, indeed, work well, goes very quickly and the last time
I broke a string using it was about ten years ago, pitch-raising an 1868
Steinway that still had it's original strings!

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net