square grand tuning: fun

[David Ilvedson]

This is a multipart message in MIME format

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Your back didn't hurt cuz you've only tuned one...;-]   It's a=
 cumulative thing...and "it had a really sweet sound"?  =
 Please....
David I.


----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: <Piannaman@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 02:18:54 EST
Subject: Re: square grand tuning: fun

Tom, 

I've tuned one, and only one, and my experience was similar to=
 yours.  It had a really sweet sound, especially when tuned to=
 438(prescribed on the plate in factory letters) to a Broadwood's=
 best temperament.  My back didn't hurt either.  While the action=
 wasn't up to modern standards(no abs-graphite in there...:-), it=
 worked okay for simple stuff.  All in all, a rewarding=
 experience. 

Glad to hear you enoyed it, 

Dave Stahl 

In a message dated 12/21/04 8:50:32 PM Pacific Standard Time,=
 Tvak@aol.com writes: 



List 

Everything I know about tuning square grands I learned from what=
 I've read here on the list.  Never having done it, and having a=
 fondness for things ancient, I read most of the posts about=
 square grands.  And from what I've read, it's something you=
 would do only when faced with a firing squad.  Why?  Because=
 your back will be sore for days afterwards from bending over the=
 thing trying to reach the tuning pins and hit the key at the=
 same time.   

Still...I was willing to have a sore back just to have the=
 experience of working on one.   

Well, for those of you who haven't had the joy yet, let me say=
 that it ain't necessarily so.  I tuned my first square grand=
 this week and it was fun.  Yeah, I had to stretch a bit to reach=
 the tuning pins but I used my Schaff extension hammer and I=
 really had to stand (or stoop over) the piano only to reach the=
 top octave.  The other pins I could reach while sitting at the=
 bench.  (Stool, actually...) 

Maybe this was a small square, and thus was easier to reach the=
 tuning pins.  Then again, maybe some people are just whiners.  =
 

Maybe both! 

This square, a Hallet and Davis, was a charming piano with a=
 quaint sound.  There were no trichords, even the steel treble=
 strings were all bichords, so the tuning went fast.  There were=
 a few bass wound bichords that were difficult (impossible) to=
 tune a true unison on, but hey, I had the exact same experience=
 with a Steinway 45" vertical today. 

Just thought I'd present a different viewpoint on the experience.=
 

Tom Sivak 
Chicago PTG Associate 

P.S. 
For the record, I'm 5'11", and am not built like an orangutan: my=
 arm length is proportional to my height!  (Just thought I'd cut=
 a couple of jokes in the bud.)


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/1a/38/68/b0/attachment.htm

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