Pulsating string

[Arlie D. Rauch]

The client has a very nicely rebuilt 85-year-old Hazelton Bros. grand.  I
tuned it last fall and again recently.  She let me know a week later that
she was not satisfied with the tuning.  So I went back.

The culprit was a pulse in the left string of the first unison immediately
above the bass/tenor break.  It developed that she really was satisfied
with the tuning, but she was hearing that pulse.  Apparently this problem
has been there before, but she thinks that last fall the pulse was gone
after I tuned the piano.

The string is firmly against the bridge.  The other half of the string
which loops back to form the second string of the unison has a clear,
straight tone.

Any suggestions as to the cause?  Any suggestions as to the solution?

Is it possible that tuning the piano to A-441 might have eliminated the
pulse last fall?  Now it was tuned to A-440, both times per her
instructions.

Thanks in advance.  I may not see the piano again until the end of summer.

Arlie

Arlie D. Rauch
Glendive, MT

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