Flat A

[Warren Fisher]

Richard Moody wrote:
>
> I would like to hear your method of fully strip muting to note 88.on
> an upright.

First, I route the mute under the tenor-treble action bracket so the
felt is laying flat on top of the dampers, then starting at 88, I feed
the mute to the string with my left hand, so I can insert it with my
screwdriver.  I aim the strip so that the top is lined up below the top
of the last damper head.  When I'm about 4 unisons away, I head upward
until the strip clears the top of the last damper and is almost sitting
on it. I continue along the top of the dampers inserting mute to the
space between the first and second treble unison and stop.

Now go back to the last two dampers, place the fore and second finger of
your left hand on top of the damper set screws and pull the heads away
from the strings as far as possible. Use the fore finger of your right
hand to push the lower part of the mute closer to the string (if it's
tight in there) and then push the loop down behind the damper by
pressing where it goes between the strings.  Proceed until you have all
the mute loops behind the dampers including the first, which isn't doing
anything yet.

Use your screwdriver on the mute felt sticking out from under the first
treble damper to gather up enough felt to make a loop on the first
unison and push it between the plate brace and the left string (if it is
the correct distance to hold the felt in place, otherwise use a wedge).
Then if there is felt left, insert a loop between the last tenor damper
and the plate brace along side the damper.  Route the remaining felt out
between the hammer and the action bracket so it won't jam the action.
Do the rest of the tenor muting however you want.

There are two ways to work this mute while you are tuning:

1.  Tune the center string to 88 then go back through on unisons.  When
you begin tuning the treble, pull the mute out from under all the
dampers first and use a wedge or a Papps mute on the right string of
each unison.

OR

2.  Use the Sanderson method of center first, then the right string of
the unison below, the left of this unison, then the center of the unison
above.  Tune all three strings on the way up the first time.


Glitches:

1. If the damper loops are too close to the string, it may mute all
three strings or change the pitch of the one you are tuning!  Take a
spare mute wire and make a bend 2" from the point about 20 degrees from
straight to make a tool to insert behind the loop to pull it away from
the string.  If you do one, do them all. (where have you heard that
before?)

2.  The dampers may have been torn apart by other tuners doing this
procedure wrong. If so, press on the pedal, spread the felt apart and
put a tiny drop of Titebond between the felt layers with a tooth pick or
some other probe.

Good Luck!

Warren

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Warren D. Fisher
fish@communique.net
Registered Piano Technician
Piano Technicians Guild
New Orleans Chapter 701