etd tunings

[PNHISTIC1@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/5/02 1:31:39 PM, mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com writes:

<< FWIW, I tuned a Baldwin Acrosonic today for a new client. First time I 
have seen the piano. It's one of those 40" or so spinets. She says she knows 
for a fact that it had been at least 12 years since the last tuning - because 
the last time was when she was in CA. Sounded pretty convicing that she was 
sure of the timing. When I talked to her on the phone, I told her that she 
could expect to also pay for a pitch raise.


Darned if that thing wasn't just about right on the button on each note. 95% 
of the notes were easily within 2 cents of target (Verituner). There were 
only a half-dozen or so that were perhaps 4 cents off. Only the bottom octave 
was a bit flat - up to 10 or 15 cents.


Amazing.


Terry Farrell

   >>

On the other side of the coin, I tuned a brand new(I unpacked it, too...), 
Chinese built Samick 42" piano about a month ago.  This past week, I went 
into the same store to do a couple of floor tunings.  The manager led me over 
to a piano, a 42" Samick.  "Does this sound tuned to you?" he asked.  He 
played a few chords, then some octaves.  Sounded pretty bad, most of the 
mid-range was at least 10 cents flat, the treble flatter, the bass not quite 
so bad.  He opened the lid, pointed at the orange sticker(hey, they asked me 
to do it!) with my initials and the date on it, and said "you tuned it about 
a month ago."  Dirty trick!  Embarassing, nonetheless.  I pointed out that, 
in my realm of experience, these pianos are extremely unstable and that they 
need to be pitch-raised/dropped then fine tuned as soon as they are unpacked 
and put on the floor.

Given the stability of the tunings I put on a Charles Walter grand and many 
other pianos in the same store, I have to say that it is a matter of 
climatizing: from being Asian-built and coming to the US, as well as from the 
change of seasons in CA from wet and cool when I first tuned it, to warm and 
dry when I checked the piano.  Like Terry, I've tuned many older American 
pianos that have been remarkably close to pitch after a 10 year tuning 
hiatus.  Just proves that newer isn't better.  

Dave Stahl