Another heater bar without a control...

[BSHARPTUNE@AOL.COM]

Matt, I'm a taker.   I am the piano tech for Western KY University.  It has 
78 pianos.   Talk to any University/College pianotech, and see if their 
greatest dread is tuning those pianos that have been locked up in class rooms 
with no climate control all summer.   Before the DC installations, these 
pianos would average 25c sharp from the high humidity (at least here in the 
South).   Many of the pianos were suffering damage (the details of which I 
can give you if you are interested) until the DC systems were installed.   
They made an amazing difference in the stability of these pianos.   I'm 
tuning these pianos now and they are +/- 5c from A440.  I have installed 
many, many of these systems with first hand observation of the difference 
they have made in my customer's pianos.  

As far as your question who endorses them, write to DC for one of their 
booklets.  You will see endorsers such as Steinway, Baldwin, Yamaha, Kawai, 
Young Chang, etc.   It might be plausible to think that these manufacturers 
have done their own testing of this system before they lent any credibility 
to it. 

Another thing that is simply common sense to think about is "What percentage 
of a piano is actually wood?", and "How does wood react to changes in 
humidity?"  Find out why: (if you don't already know) soundboards develop 
splits?; bridge caps split?; tuning pins become loose?, and your conclusion 
may lead you to something that can control these things.  

For your customers that have a bar without a humidistat, suggest the benefit 
of installing one.  If the price is too high for them, suggest that they go 
to Radio Shack,  and at least buy a hygrometer, sit it on their piano, and 
monitor that the humidity it does not fall below 42% for more than a couple 
of consecutive days.  If it does, this is when they unplug it.   Just the 
inverse if the humidity rises.  

Devlon
Western Ky Univ.