What is "Flagpoling?"

[Tom Cole]

Les Smith wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 25 Dec 1997, Jim Coleman, Sr. wrote:
> 
> > Hi Glenn:
> >
> > In piano tuning terminology, flagpoling refers to the practice of
> > bending a tuning pin up and down on a vertical piano.
> 
> Nothing like starting out the New Year (almost) by disagreeing with
> JC, SR, but here goes! JIm: your post says that flagpoling is the
> "PRACTICE of bending the tuning pin up and down on a vertical piano"
> This implies that the tech is doing this DELIBERATELY. I don't believe
> that this is true. Flag-poling usually results when an overly tight
> tight tuning pin--which is perhaps not set deeply enough into the
> pinblock--AND WHICH USUALLY IS FOUND IN PIANOS WHICH DON'T USE TUN-
> ING PIN PLATE BUSHINGS, inadvertently flexes or bends during the
> tuning process. When one mentions the term flag-poling to a technician
> the image that usually first springs to mind is that of a Steinway
> vertical, although it can occur in grands as well. My personal feel-
> ing has always been that if one isn't going to use plate bushings, they
> would be better off using a 3/4 plate with an exposed block, because that
> way the string coils can be tapped down close enough to the block to
> minimize flag-poling which otherwise is the cause of much frustration
> and bad language on the part of the technician and justifiably so!
> In short, flag-poling isn't so much the fault of the technician as it is
> the piano--no matter how over-priced it might be! :)
> 
> Season's Greetings!
> 
> Les Smith

Well said, Les. Nothing brought home your point better than tuning a
Steinway grand for a new customer recently. I guess I must automatically
get into S&S mode when I see the logo on the fallboard because I was
surprised, and pleasantly so, by how easy it was to tune. Noticing that
the piano was not bushing-less, I asked the owner about it and he
reported that the rebuilder had gone to the trouble of drilling out the
plate holes to accept plate bushings. And now it tunes like a Yamaha. 


-- 
Thomas A. Cole RPT
Santa Cruz, CA