spinet octaves

[Dave Nereson]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Charles Neuman=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 12:40 PM
  Subject: spinet octaves


  I don't mean to start a spinet-bashing session, but I just want to see =
if
  it's me or the piano:

  When tuning a spinet, I find it hard to make nice clean octaves. (I =
use an
  ETD to tune, but I also do everything aurally as I tune, for =
practice.)
  The other day, the customer was sitting in the same room as me while I
  tuned. I was embarassed that I was tuning their piano and couldn't get =
a
  clean-sounding octave! So I moved on, worried about what the final =
result
  would sound like. She didn't seem to notice anything wrong. I'm still =
not
  sure if I did any good to the piano or not.

  So do I need more practice, or am I doing what can be done? Note: I =
don't
  seem to have this problem on a Steinway B.

  By the way, those Baldwin spinets have a surprisingly good sound for =
their
  size, I have to admit. I always emphasize that to the customer, and =
they
  seem proud. I still would rather not be near one, but for what they =
are,
  they seem not so bad.

  Charles Neuman
  PTG Assoc, Long Island - Nassau

  _______________________________________________
  pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

  If the unclean octaves are up in the treble, you might try seating =
strings on the bridge, in spite of the recent arguments to the contrary. =
 You don't always have to take the action out -- you can often reach =
thru with a long screwdriver, just rest it on the string just above the =
bridge pin and bump the end of the handle with your palm.  Sometimes =
cleans up the tone.
      As others have said, spinets aren't going to sound like larger =
pianos or tune up as nicely.  There's a lot of inharmonicity and the =
bass/tenor break often requires a lot of compromising.  The human ear =
may give more musical results than an ETD here. =20
      Yes the Baldwin Acrosonics are probably the best spinets around, =
although Yamahas were pretty decent (haven't been made for 25 years or =
more, though).
      Don't despair too much, though -- just get it as best you can.  I =
tuned a 6-foot Steinert grand today that had a few strings with beats in =
them, that is, beats in just one string of some of the unisons.  Seating =
strings didn't help.  Not sure what caused them, but I just got them to =
sound as good as they could.  =20
          --David Nereson, RPT


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/61/1d/0e/e5/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--