Pitch Raise, was: Standard Pitch

[David Love]

Hello Joe:

While I've got you in the tuning area--takes me about an hour to tune, add
fifteen minutes for a pitch raise.   I don't think my tunings suffer for
stability.  But it takes me 3 hours to do the bushings including sizing the
balance rail pin after steaming, polishing the balance and front rail pins
before reinstalling the keys (not counting pick up and delivery).  Takes me
about the same to replace a set of keytops depending on how easily the old
ones come off--I do use the moulded tops btw (again, not counting pick up
and delivery).  I'm with you on resurfacing the hammers depending on how
bad they are.  Dampers depend on what's done.  When doing a damper job I
almost always rebush the damper guide rail including new felt on the feet
and a coat of shellac on the wood, change the upstop felt, clean and polish
the heads and wires, remove and check the underlevers for pinning and
weight, replace the tray felt, relocate the spring if necessary, change the
leather in the trapwork, replace the trap pins or clean and polish, open up
the lyre and inspect the pedals changing the bushing cloth if necessary as
well as the rest cushions, polish the pedal rods (or replace with
adjustable), replace the lyre guide felt if worn, replace the rod cups
install damper felt and regulate, and if the key end felt is worn I replace
that as well.  Did I forget anything?  For all that... a day and a half. 
Just removing old damper felt and gluing on new and regulating, about 4
hours but I don't generally do it that way.    At ten hours to repin an
entire grand action, I'd think about replacing parts.  Takes me two hours
to repin a set of hammer flanges.  At eight hours to repin the wippens, I'd
replace them unless there was some compelling reason not to.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 10/10/2003 6:07:33 PM
> Subject: Re: Pitch Raise, was: Standard Pitch
>
> I've been reading all of this Bravado and some truthful times it takes to
do
> quality tuning. To those who admit to over 1 1/2 hrs, I say fine. Y'all
are
> not doing bad at all!
> I've been tuning for over 30 years. My average time for a first time
client,
> is over 2 hours. Sometimes going as much as 6 hours, for one tuning. Of
> course, the ones that take over 2 hours are usually some weird critter
like
> a square grand or an over-damper piano.
> Today, I returned, after 6 months, to a Gonzales, Square Grand, that
> initially was 45cents flat of 435cps. The initial visit took 5 hours. Of
> course, part of that 5 hours, was spent indocrinating the client about
> square grands and another part was aligning hammers, cleaning the
interior,
> etc. Today, I found all but a few notes well within 2 cents of where I put
> it, 6 months ago! The extra time that I spent, initially, paid off TODAY.
> Within 2 1/2 hours, I tuned it, cleaned the Ivory keys, dusted/cleaned and
> installed a repaired damper lever, that I have had in the shop for, lo,
> these last 6 months. (It was A0 and had been muted off.<G>) It is my
belief
> that "rushing" through a tuning is counter productive for long term
> stability. However, "dawdling" through a pitch raise/tuning is also
> counter-productive.
> What I'd really like to see/hear from a lot of you guys/gals, is how fast
> you can, efficiently and proficiently do a set of key bushings, a set of
key
> tops, a resurfacing of hammers, a set of dampers, (install and regulate),
or
> any of the many tasks we all do to make a piano better.
> FYI, I can do a set of key bushings, (out/in), in less than 2 hours;
replace
> keytops, (Ivorine...NOT those damned "moulded" thingees!)..2 hours,
Surface
> a set of hammers in less than an hour. Repin EVERY flange in a grand
action
> in less than 10 hours. All of these things can be done efficiently,
without
> being destructive to your physical well-being. Whereas,
> "slam/bang/thankyoumam tunings" are really hard on the body/mind, IMSO!
> Let's put our "speed" where it counts. Just a few thoughts on the subject
of
> "Speed".<G>
> Best Regards,
> Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> Captain, Tool Police
> Squares Are I
>
>
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