Tuning Complaint - Help!

[James Baker]

I also pitch raised a couple of Grand spinets 100 cents or more before I
heard about them being prone to plate breakage (sounds likely, but contrary
to my experience).  I still pitch raise them, I just warn the owner about
what I've heard.

James Baker

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike and Jane Spalding" <mjbkspal@execpc.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 8:34 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning Complaint - Help!


> Terry,
>
> Coincidentally, I tuned one just yesterday.  Family with 4 kids just
starting lessons, inherited the Grand Spinet from grandparents, hadn't been
tuned in decades.  100 to 200 cent pitch raise.  Overall, I was impressed
with how well it tuned (relative to Whitneys, Lesters, etc.)  - few false
beats, a "manageable" tenor break area, and nice feel to the pins.  If only
I hadn't broken so many strings in the high treble.  Frustrating because  I
was careful to lower every string before raising.  Frustrating because they
didn't all break on the first pass - the last two went while tuning unisons
on the 3rd pass.  I'll let you know in a year if it's still perfectly in
tune.
>
>
> Mike
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 4:24 PM
> Subject: Re: Tuning Complaint - Help!
>
>
> > Just curious, have you ever tuned/serviced a "Grand" console/spinet?
Truely an experience! I assume not if you say Whitney is at the bottom of
the heap!   :-)
> >
> > And this I can say after spending 6 hours today servicing a 1960s
Aeolian spinet in a Missionary Baptist church downtown! 9 strings,
regulation, pitch raise, tune. YIKES!  But the $$$ makes me  :-).
> >
> > Terry Farrell
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <PNHISTIC1@AOL.COM>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 10:52 AM
> > Subject: Re: Tuning Complaint - Help!
> >
> >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 6/6/02 7:41:48 AM, Billbrpt@AOL.COM writes:
> > >
> > > << But it is *their* piano and I earn good money taking care of it and
get
> > > good
> > > referrals from them.  It would certainly be counterproductive for me
to say
> > > what I really think about it.  I tune Kimball products fairly often
and have
> > > never had the low opinion of them many technicians seem to have.  Most
of
> > > them sound reasonably good and are very stable, long lasting
instruments.  A
> > > few of them even qualify as being above average in both looks and tone
> > > quality. >>
> > >
> > > Bill, Terry, et. al,
> > >
> > > I agree that some Kimball products are indeed underrated: most are at
the
> > > least consistent and quite servicable.  That said, I have never tuned
a piano
> > > more disagreeable than a Whitney(which is actually a subspecies of
Kimball).
> > > On the last one I happened upon, it didn't matter WHAT the Tunelab
said was
> > > right, or where my ear tried to place the pitch.  I could never make
the bass
> > > strings next to the break sound "in tune" according to my ear.  Very
> > > frustrating.
> > >
> > > Dave Stahl
> >
>