advice??

[Edward Carwithen]

  I tuned a Hallet Davis & Co. piano today.  Atlas indicates it was built
in 1885.  Not a bad piano, but...  It was 47 cents sharp on A4.  A5 was
worse.  The client says that the previous tuner indicated that pianos of
this time had a special tuning range.  He was the 2nd tuner they had had
which had changed the frequency of the piano.  
  Here I come, and I lowered it back down to A - 440.  I have to add that
there were a lot of replaced strings.  Several had been tied off (very
neatly too), and several completely replaced.  The sound board was also
split and repaired.  this piano has been moved since previous tuning and
spent several months in storage 
  Anyone have any information about a "special" pitch for "pianos of this
time."  Other than maybe tuning at 435, which is lower, I can't think of a
reason for tuning it sharp at all, much less almost 50 cents sharp.   I
can't imagine that moving it, or storing it would cause it to go sharp, at
least not to that extent.

  Any thoughts???????

Ed
Ed Carwithen
Oregon