I tuned a customer's 1975 K & C spinet yesterday...it was nearly OFF the scale at 164 Cents Flat!!! I told the customer that even though the strings are in good condition, that there would be a very real chance of mutliple string breakage, during the pitch raise sequence. He said to go ahead, and we'll hope for the best. So i computed the 1/3 OVER-pull in the treble, and a little less in the tenor, then brought up the bass. NO broken strings!! The treble area was flatter than i have EVER encountered, at 163-170 cents flat. Here's the neat part; I was able to get it close enough to fine tune after just ONE pass! I was astonished to see that the pitch dropped right into the ballpark across the board. So I finished the tuning, eased a few sticking keys, vacuumed out the piano, and booked another tuning in 6 months. Terry Peterson Los Angeles, CA Associate Member, PTG >From: "Brian Trout" <btrout@desupernet.net> >Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Subject: Re: Pitch Raise Sequence >Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000 10:36:26 -0400 > >FWIW, > >I don't get real excited about most of the top octave moving about on me. >The parts of the piano that change pitch the most during a pitch raise >(very >generally speaking) are the strings that rest on the most flexible, most >moving parts of the soundboard. The board doesn't move a whole lot up >there >in that top octave in comparison with the middle of the keyboard. It >doesn't usually move very dramatically in the low bass either. > >If the piano is really that far off, like a whole step, or more, I don't >usually plan on getting it that close in one pass. I start with seeing >where it is, overall, and doing an extremely fast aural tuning, raising A4 >a >few beats above 440, (how much depends on some variables.) Tune the >(quick) >temperament between C3 and C4, and head on up through the treble quickly >tuning fair sounding fifths and beating octaves, up until about the last >octave which I tune by pretty standard octaves. Then normal octaves down >through the bass. All of this happens in just a few minutes, 10 or 15, >maybe. To me, it's not worth getting out the ETD for this part. Takes too >long. > >Once I get it to this point, I get out the laptop and go at it. Usually, >one more pass quickly, and one more (sometimes partial pass) a little more >thoroughly will get it pretty good. (I can certainly do it all aurally, >too. We're not putting in heart valves here, folks.) > >We as tuner types tend to get kind of 'up tight' about A440, at pitch >pianos that started a LONG way from there. Even with the best of efforts, >a >full step pitch raise won't be as stable as a piano that's been tuned at >A440 every 3 months for the last 10 years. Our best efforts are certainly >an improvement, but an example I sometimes use (mostly for people who work >on their cars) is this. If you have your oil changed every 2000 miles, and >you pull the dipstick a few miles after an oil change, it'll probably be >very clean. If you drive your car for 60,000 miles and never change your >oil, then change it once and after just a very few miles, pull the >dipstick, >even your new oil will not be nearly as clean as the oil in the other guys >car that changed his faithfully every 2000 miles, in fact it'll probably be >pretty dirty. Just like in changing the oil, a tuning now is certainly in >order, and will indeed help. But today's tuning won't undo 10 years of >neglect in a two hour service call. We'll go from here with a plan for >regular service, and over the next several tunings, the piano will become >more stable and more likely to stay closer to pitch. > >That's all. I refuse to intimidate a customer by telling them how terrible >they are for neglecting their piano. (They might have just gotten it.) >Almost all will ask when they should have it tuned again, regardless of how >long it's been since the last tuning. I recommend they have it tuned a >minimum of once a year, more often if they are able. (Some are not able.) >If they can, I especially recommend that if it's been a major pitch >adjustment, that they not wait more than a few months if they can manage >it. >But it's up to them. No lectures, no sermons. I'll call them to remind >them if they want me to. > >In other words, relax. Enjoy the ride. After a 200 cent pitch raise, the >average customer will be ecstatic with your tuning, even if it did sag a >bit >someplace. > >Best wishes, > >Brian Trout >Quarryville, PA >btrout@desupernet.net > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Ron Nossaman <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 9:08 AM >Subject: Re: Pitch Raise Sequence > > > > > Yes, I think so. But how much? I dunno. I was not sticking to > > >proven numbers, just general directions. Bringing up a piano 25 cents >from > > >the middle or bottom will drop the top end, but I haven't seen the very >top > > >be too sensitive to the change. I will admit to not measuring, so this >will > > >wait till my next major pitch raise, (which means, my next new >customer...) > > > I will tune the C88 dead on before I do anything, and see where it >goes > > >during the raise. > > >Thanks, > > >Ed > > > > Excellent! It's about time someone did this. It's my impression too, >that > > the high end doesn't drop much during the pitch raise, but then I never > > measured it either. I'm curious to hear what you find. > > > > Ron N > > > _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.
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