question about temperament strips (was RE: one rubber mute)

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lesher, Trent J." <tlesher@sachnoff.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 4:44 PM
Subject: question about temperament strips (was RE: one rubber mute)



> I was wondering if anyone else finds it difficult to adequately damp the 
> outside strings with a felt temperament strip.   <

    Temperament strips come in at least three thicknesses.  The unisons 
aren't spaced the same distance apart on all pianos.  Sometimes you need a 
thin strip, sometimes a thick.  Sometimes even the thick isn't thick enough 
and you have to use action cloth.  Or it's not thin enough and you have to 
use spring rail cloth -- whatever;  experiment.  Rubber temp. strips are 
also available, but I've never tried one.  It also helps if you do a 
rough-in first, then bring in the unisons at least fairly near beatless so 
you don't have wildly-beating "bleed-through."  When first learning, rubber 
mutes may be better since they kill the the unwanted strings better.  And 
don't put the temp. strip up too close to the pressure bar (I know; it HAS 
to be above a certain point) in the low tenor since those are long strings 
and you want to have the strip just above where the hammers hit.
    Don't know what else to say except that some pianos just have weird 
background frequencies, beats, partials, noises that come through.  You 
might check the duplex scale and maybe put a piece of masking tape across it 
temporarily if it's not already muted out with stringing braid (I know, 
under the bass strings, this is next to impossible).
    But there shouldn't be anything peculiar to an M&H that makes it any 
more difficult to tune.
    --David Nereson, RPT