, Richard writes: << btw... my recent experiences in Japan has led me to conclude that the one hour wonder pitch raise and "fine tuning" is a suspect concept at best. :) >> Hmm, I dunno. There is no right or wrong way to fine tune a piano, at pitch, that is say 15 cents flat in places. There are, however, many of us that have found ways that work, for us. Here's mine. If the piano is more than 4 cents off standard, and I have to meet broadcast quality,(which is mainly the unisons and octaves), I invest the first 15 minutes,(12 if I really have to meet a deadline), in getting the piano within 4 cents of 440. This is most easily done by using the standard SAT calculator. HOwever, I take my readings from 7 notes or so, ABOVE where I am tuning. The reason for this is that seldom do I find a piano that is the same amount flat across the whole keyboard, and since the drop is due to continually adding tension above, I want to stop overpulling so much before I get to the section that is not so flat. There is a simple hammer technique that leaves string/pins very stable. It is just not very accurate in placing the pitch. I pull the pin well sharp, enough so that I will be certainly moving the pin as I then drop it flat. I go until the pitch is just a little flat, relax the hammer, and give a very slight sharpening flex to the pin. These amounts depend on how tight the block is, and how much friction there is in the upper bearing points. This technique is a little sloppy on pitch placement, but leaves a string that will not move under any blow that I hit it with. On the second pass, if by chance a string is exactly where it should be, I simply wiggle the pin with the hammer to assure myself that it isn't poised on the edge of balance, and if the note doesn't change, that is a freebie. I have had the SAT III leave a piano within 2 cents of 440 after a 15 minute, 20 cent pitch raise doing this, and after that, it is not difficult to fine tune it in an hour. There are exceptions, of course, but I don't see many problems getting the major work done in a flash, then taking whatever time I like to fine tune. Usually I don't see more than 15% of the strings as freebies, though. Regards, Ed Foote RPT http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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