stability of pitch raises

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

    Terry, I have a similar situation.

    My "Girlfriend" bought a U1 from a lady who could no longer play, due to
arthritis. I did a pitch raise of about 35 cents. Later, I installed a
complete damp chaser unit. (Ain't I a nice guy, all for free, well, sort
of........)
    I tuned the piano three or four times the first year, double tunings
each. The second year I had to tune it once. The third year, I checked it
every so often, cleaned up some unisons near the tenor. The last time I
tuned it, it was right on pitch. Dang thing didn't need to be tuned hardly
at all. Perhaps, not by coincidence, we parted ways soon after.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 3:07 AM
Subject: Re: stability of pitch raises


> Hi Tom. I agree with most of your observations. I use the SAT III and I
too
> have been amazed that many pianos are in decent shape after a year. I did
an
> old junker cut-down Kimball upright more than two years ago - pitch raise
> just over 100 cents, tune - the dude finally called me back two years
later
> and darn if that rascal wasn't right up to pitch - no pitch raise needed,
> just tune it.
>
> How long have you been tuning? (Please forgive me if you have been at it a
> long time!) I am just into my fourth year of tuning, so I have just
started
> to be seeing a number of pianos for the second time. And yes, I am amazed
> that so many will stay where you put them - or at least close. Some though
> need that 5 or 10 cent pitch raise every time I tune. My own Boston GP178
> has been a bit of a guinea pig for me. For like two years I tuned it every
> month or two. After the first few tunings, it would always be within a two
> cents (piano-friendly climate here in Florida, plus 200 watts of DC below
> soundboard). I haven't tuned it since last November - 9 months. It needs a
> tuning (I am picky), and I will tune it soon (yes Dear, I'll get to it
right
> away!), but it still is within a couple cents. Many unisons are still
good.
> Most octaves, etc. are really close or right on.
>
> To address your specific question (IMHO), I think that a big-pitch raised
> piano is LESS stable than a piano that has been tuned and stabilized at
> pitch - although, the just-pitch-raised piano may well be more stable than
> you would think. (Although I have not really presented much proof it
seems.
> Hmmm.) As to your other question, on whether an ETD negates the
instability
> issue, I can't see how. What is the final difference between getting a 50
> cent flat piano within two cents of target on one pass with an ETD, and
> getting it ready for a final pass with two or three passes using only
aural
> techniques. Actually, I would think perhaps the aural pitch raise would
end
> up more stable because there would be more passes, and hence a bit more
> banging on the key, and thus more energy to stabilize the string tension
in
> all string segments.
>
> I tell clients after a big pitch raise that often the piano will slide
back
> in pitch just a bit, and the piano MAY need a pitch raise next time.
> Sometimes that will stay right there. Every piano is different. And in
> general the tuning will tend to be less stable than a piano that has been
> tuned regularly. I recommend tuning every six months for most pianos
owners,
> although many only tune once a year. Because we just did the pitch raise
and
> we want to train the piano up at standard pitch, I highly recommend that
we
> tune within six months. I'll send you a reminder card in six months, and
if
> I hear from you, we will schedule a tuning. If you do not call I will send
> another reminder in a year. If you notice it going out of tune before the
> six months, just give me a call and we will schedule a tuning.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Tvak@AOL.COM>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 9:56 PM
> Subject: stability of pitch raises
>
>
> > I do all my pitch raises using RCT, so I end up very close to pitch
after
> the
> > first pass.  If the piano is 50 cents flat or more, I have always warned
> the
> > client that a pitch-raised tuning is a less stable tuning, and that
their
> > piano may need another tuning in 3 or 4 months.   Rarely do they
actually
> > call me in 3 months.  Most often I come back in a year...OR TWO, and I
am
> > usually surprised at how well the piano has stayed in tune.  Not that
the
> > piano doesn't need a tuning, but it's tolerable enough that I can
> understand
> > why I haven't been called back sooner.  I suppose it's possible that the
> > piano did all its drifting in the first 3 months, and just stayed there,
> but
> > I'm starting to wonder about the conventional wisdom that a pitch-raised
> > tuning is less stable.
> >
> > Could it be that the use of the RCT negates the instability issue by
> virtue
> > of getting the piano so close to pitch after the first pass?
> >
> > Any thoughts?
> >
> > Tom Sivak