pitch raise

[Lawsonic Pianoforte Services]

> I'd appreciate some feedback on major pitch raises, as in 150-200 cents. 
> I've read all this stuff on five minute pitch raises and can't quite
> figure out how one gets the time down to some reasonable period.  I'm
> usually about 45-60 minutes on each pass.

Here from a economicaly suppressed country is my devalued 5cents worth:

In the last few days I have needed to do two pitch raises, today it was a
Knight which was about a quarter tone flat. To be even more specific than I
probably need to be; I tune with a C fork, so my proceedure is as follows:
I use a papps wedge when tuning, I set middle C a few beats above pitch
depending how flat it is, I tune C down to G up to D down to A forths and
fiths etc and end up at F above middle C, for a pitch raise that interval
in screaming, but it is not important for a pitch raise. The unisons are
rough (you dont spend time setting them), then (a sip of coffee) start
tuning the octaves up, mute off the right hand of the 3 strings, tune the
left, then middle then the right, again this is tuned rough but pulled up
just above a perfect octave. And so, proceed up the treble and then back
down from the scale to the bass. As it  happened I timed myself today and
it was 8 mins on this piano - now the result is a pitch raise - the piano
is chromatic if played but, it is still out of tune but it is now an out of
tune piano above pitch = my definition of a pitch raise.

>From here (finish the coffee) I then give it a rough tune, from which I am
dropping the tuning pin onto pitch rather than pulling it up. Then, a rough
tune takes as long as it takes. And, from that point (after another cup) I
can give it a fine tune.
Did all that in hour and a half.

> Specifically,  how do you determine of string breakage is going to be an
> issue?  On "older" pianos, do you just jerk the strings up madly, even
> risking string breakage?  I just "did" a very old one stored in a barn,
> telling the owner NOT to have it tuned as it positively would break
> strings, and four broke, with piano still at least 50-cents flat after
> three passes.  

On the other I had, it was a last century John Brinsmead straight strung
overdamper. I told the owner before hand due to age and what I was going to
do that strings might break (none did). As this was a semitone flat I set
middle C at about a quarter tone sharp. This took longer to raise pitch as
being an overdamper it was harder to place my wedge and with rust on some
coils I loosened the string and then pulled it up, as well as a few loose
pins I had to attend to. half an hour for that pitch raise, longer for the
tunings and will pop back again next week to check it = included in the
price.

> Just looking for some pracitcal wisdom.
> thanks
> les bartlett 
> houston

Hope the above is
Would have been sooner to answer but caught in the world's time zone

Brian Lawson
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