Beware! Worn out tuning tip.

[Clyde Hollinger]

Johannes,

I don't know what is causing this problem for you, but since you don't have the
new tuning tips yet, you don't really know for sure if that is the problem.  Was
your hammer tip a little jiggly last week?  Last month?

To me it seems a little odd that a problem with worn tuning tips should show up so
suddenly.  If you have the same problem with the new tips, then it has to be
something else.  Please let us know the outcome.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger

Johannes28@AOL.COM wrote:

> Greetings to all!
>
> I have had a rather unpleasant experience recently.  I did not realize what
> happens when a tuning hammer tip gets worn out, or ruined.
>
> So what happens?  Well, I went to tune a couple of pianos and had to go back
> through them many many times before they would hold.  Mind you, these
> instruments were at A440 already and get tuned about once a month.  So I knew
> that the pianos not holding was not because of the need for a pitch raise.
> They are good pianos with good tight pins so it's not that either.
>
> So, there I was, tuning and tuning and tuning and tuning and tuning and
> tuning and tuning over and over again.  It was awful.  Hours of that.  I
> would get it tuned then notes started slipping.  So, in went the mutes and
> here we go again.  When this awful nightmare showed up on the next piano I
> went to, I started hunting for the problem.
>
> I noticed that my hammer tip was a little jiggly - not snug on the pins.  And
> yes, it is the right size for the pins.   Before this terrible problem occured
>  all my tunings have been quite good.  I figure it's just gotta be that loose
> fitting tip.  I can't wait to get a call into my piano supply company in the
> morning and have new tips shipped to me as soon as possible.
>
> Anyone else have this problem before?   Let me warn you, have extra tips on
> hand just in case.  I think perhaps I might have ruined my tuning hammer tip
> somehow.  The best part of having an awful problem is being able to solve it.
>  At least I can laugh about it now.  At the time I was rather freaked out to
> say the least!!
>
> Johannes Spannung
>
>