If pianos are "swollen" now... then what?

Avery Todd avery@ev1.net
Thu, 08 Jul 2004 17:50:16 -0500


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Terry,

Just out of curiosity, why would the A above middle C be any more important
than the A below? Unless you're comparing it to a tuning fork, of course. :-)

Avery

At 04:02 PM 7/8/04, you wrote:
><<I will get a call to have a piano tuned and am told its been 5 plus 
>yaears since last tuning, yet the A below middle C is right on or ne! ar 440.
>Julia Gottchall,
>  Reading, PA>>
>
>I HOPE you actually meant "A ABOVE middle C", NOT below!
>
>Terry Peterson
>
>
>
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Clyde Hollinger &lt;cedel@supernet.com&gt;
>Reply-To: Pianotech &lt;pianotech@ptg.org&gt;
>To: Pianotech &lt;pianotech@ptg.org&gt;
>Subject: Re: If pianos are &quot;swollen&quot; now... then what?
>Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 13:18:20 -0400
>
>Bob,
>
>It was good to see you in Nashville.  Of course I agree with you 
>wholeheartedly, whle at the same time I admit that I am not a very 
>outspoken salesman of PLS systems.  I do let first-time clients that if 
>the piano sounds bad between tunings, then humidity change is the culprit, 
>and we can deal with that.  If established clients remark about tuning 
>instability, I also let them know their options.  I think I averaged about 
>one system a month during the spring and early summer this year, which is 
>probably higher than average for me.
>
>Regards,
>Clyde H.
>
>Robert J Russell wrote:
>
>&gt;Hello All, Excellent advice Clyde. You really offer great advice on
>&gt;how to deal with our wonderful humidity changes. The only thing I
>&gt;would add, is that six month tunings over these high swing periods
>&gt;offer a great opportunity to recommend a solution for their
>&gt;problems. Piano Life Saver Systems. If your tuning in the fall and
>&gt;spring to avoid these swings, the pianos are going to sound terrible
>&gt;in June through October and January through April. The biggest
>&gt;question that we need to ask our customers is how many months  of
>&gt;the year do they want their pianos to sound good?
>&gt;Great seeing everyone in Nashville,
>&gt;Bob Russell, RPT
>&gt;
>&gt;Clyde Hollinger &lt;cedel@supernet.com&gt; wrote:
>&gt;
>&gt;     Julia,
>&gt;
>&gt;     I do what is called by some &quot;floating the pitch,&quot; 
>although I
>&gt;would
>&gt;     not do this for a concert where the piano really needs to be at
>&gt;A-440.
>&gt;
>&gt;     My experience is that in this area humidity generally peaks in
>&gt;     August and September and hits the lowest usually in February
>&gt;and
>&gt;     March.  So we are on the rise at this point of July.  When I
>&gt;sit
>&gt;     down to tune a piano, I use my RCT to test where the pitches of
>&gt;     the As are, from A1 to A6, and sometimes the lowest unwound
>&gt;     strings also.  (If you tune aurally you'll need to use your own
>&gt;     system.)
>&gt;
>&gt;     What I do next depends on the season and the situation.  If
>&gt;I've
>&gt;     been tuning the piano in July at A-440 for years, but suddenly
>&gt;     this year the whole piano is sharp, this is a humidity
>&gt;     aberration.  If I tune it at A-440 again, it is almost a
>&gt;certainty
>&gt;     that next year it will be flat.  So I leave it sharp! .
>&gt;Obviously
>&gt;     I keep good records so I can look back and see what has
>&gt;happened
>&gt;     in the past 10-15 years.
>&gt;
>&gt;     I do not like 6-month tunings that swing between high and low
>&gt;     humidity seasons.  I have a couple customers like that, and
>&gt;     sometimes I never tune the piano to A-440, leaving it several
>&gt;     cents high in the summer and about the same amount low in the
>&gt;     winter.  That way I'm putting less wear on the pinblock, and I
>&gt;     know that somewhere between tunings the piano is on target.
>&gt;
>&gt;     Regards,
>&gt;     Clyde Hollinger, RPT
>&gt;
>&gt;     Alpha88x@aol.com wrote:
>&gt;
>&gt;&gt;     Greetings,
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;                   If the pianos are &quot;swollen&quot; just now
>&gt;&gt;(summertime),
>&gt;&gt;     due to the humid mountanous atmosphere of this part of
>&gt;&gt;     Pennsylvania, is it OK to tune above A440?
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;                    I have been tuning for alittle over a year now.
>&gt;&gt;I
>&gt;&gt;     have found that pianos which the customer tells me havent been
>&gt;&gt;     tuned for 5 or more years, are very close to A440, yet they
>&gt;&gt;are
>&gt;&gt;     terribly out of tune as far as unisons and horribly flat upper
>&gt;&gt;     octaves.
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;                     In other words, I will get a call to have a
>&gt;&gt;piano
>&gt;&gt;     tuned and am told its been 5 plus yaears since last tuning,
>&gt;&gt;yet
>&gt;&gt;     the A below middle C is right on or ne! ar 440. Other pianos I
>&gt;&gt;go
>&gt;&gt;     to, the customer will say it's been 2 years and these are
>&gt;&gt;     actually a few beats above A440.
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;                     I never turn them back to A440, I figure they
>&gt;&gt;are
>&gt;&gt;     swelled right now, and if I turn them down to 440 now, then,
>&gt;&gt;when
>&gt;&gt;     the summer is over they will go below 440 when the heat goes
>&gt;&gt;on.
>&gt;&gt;     Last summer, I had my first few tunings and I turned pianos
>&gt;&gt;back
>&gt;&gt;     down to 440 and I was wondering if my fork was off...This year
>&gt;&gt;I
>&gt;&gt;     figured it out. I think I am correct, but I want to be sure on
>&gt;&gt;this.
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;                     This year, (with my whole whopping 16 months
>&gt;&gt;     expertise)  If I go into a situation and its a few beats above
>&gt;&gt;     440 I tune it right there. In fact,  if the customer doesnt
>&gt;&gt;have
>&gt;&gt;     a dehumidifer or ar conditioning, I even pull the piano up a
>&gt;&gt;bit
>&gt;&gt;     to be alittle above A440. Pianos &quot;should&quot; be s! 
>harp just now,
>&gt;&gt;     right? How am I on this? Am I figuring OK on this?
>&gt;&gt;
>&gt;&gt;     Thanks
>&gt;&gt;     Julia Gottchall,
>&gt;&gt;     Reading, PA
>&gt;
><>
>
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