Protek on Strings

[Jon Page]

I've been using Protek on these pressure points for the last 7 years with
great results. Sometimes retreatment is necessary the next year or two but 
they seem to do well for 5 years.

These Aeolian pianos tune best if you jsy bring it up and leave it once
it is in tune. No finesse on the pin. The friction on the counter bearing
surfaces is such that any loss of tension from the pin caused by torque
is held in check. To prove my point, start to lower the tension and see
how far yopu have to turn it to change the tension. One stroke - pull to
tune -
move on.

You can really beat your brains out on these things,

Jon Page


At 03:39 PM 3/31/99 -0500, you wrote:
>John, I don't know about 'safe' at the moment. As of last Thursday, I began
>exploring 'effective'.
>
>I finally tired of finding the 'sweet spot' on an Aeolian Knabe grand. The
>combination of excessive side bearing, mushy tuning pin feedback, and high
>counter-bearing area with felt landings was causing me to spend as much
>time on the last 1-1/2 octaves as on the rest of the piano. You know the
>type -- turn the pin 1/8 of a rotation before anything changes, regardless
>of direction. Last Thursday, my internal fuse blew, and I reached for the
>Protek and applied a few drops to only the felted area between tuning pins
>and counter-bearing bar. At my age, I don't get grin-faced over many
>things. I was grinning last Thursday.
>
>The difference in tuning response was instant and gratifying. Although
>other areas could benefit...(?), I stopped after doing only the highest
>treble section. When I see the results of this over time, I may do more of
>this piano, and/or loosen my restraints regarding other pianos --
>especially those that exhibit these characteristics.
>
>On a related note, it was the lack of tuning stability that caused this
>client to switch tuners originally. Their words, "The tuning seemed just
>fine until someone began to actually play the piano". My tunings were
>always stable on this piano, but the penalty in time and frustration in
>making it so was beginning to get to me. Something had to change... and did.
>
>JMO.
>
>At 08:51 AM 3/31/99 -0500, John wrote:
>>(I digress once again, please excuse me): How effective/safe is ProTek on
the

>>bearing points? How 'bout the coil? How 'bout the underfelt? I've been
>tempted 
>>many times, but just haven't yet made the leap.
>>
>>John Piesik, RPT
>>Oceanside, CA
>
>
>Jim Harvey, RPT
>Greenwood, SC
>harvey@greenwood.net
>________________________
> -- someone who's been in the field too long.
>