Hello William and List As a left handed tuner I find it very easy to control the lever on an upright. I use the fingers of my left hand against the top of the pin block, and the lever in the thumb joint, to help inch up the lever. I go for the ten o'clock position. In grands I always use a "T" hammer. But I haven't one of those "impact hammers". Can't get them here. The principle sounds interesting though. Regards Michael G.(UK) ----- Original Message ----- From: "William R. Monroe" <pianotech@a440piano.net> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 9:32 PM Subject: Re: Impact Tuning Lever > Alan, > > I do think ambidextrous tuning is a good practice, for many reasons. That > said, however, I must respectfully say that I think all any technician > needs > is properly developed technique. Tuning right or left handed should make > no > difference so long as the technician compensates for the physics of the > hammer position, movement, etc. > > Sometimes, this is a conscious process; e.g. while tuning right handed on > a > vertical, we understand that pulling the pin down a bit will result in a > (relatively) higher pitch when released - all other things being equal - > so > we compensate by not pulling above pitch as much prior to setting. This > is > a bit oversimplified, but I think you get the idea. I would expect that > mostly it is subconscious. Whichever hand anyone uses to tune is > irrelevant. It is my position that knowing how the piano responds to your > particular tuning technique IS relevant and is what makes for a good > tuning. > An ambidextrous technician should be equally capable of tuning grands or > uprights with either hand, in my opinion. > > William R. Monroe > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Alan Forsyth" <alanforsyth@fortune4.fsnet.co.uk> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 1:35 PM > Subject: Re: Impact Tuning Lever > > > " I also like your idea of using pitch raises to get used to left-handed > work. I don't really have the time to try and fine-tune with my left just > yet. > Good news! > -holly" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > > Don't know about you guys but we were taught to be ambidextrous from day > one. Left handed for uprights and right handed for grands. The main idea > is > that it automatically compensates for tuning pin setting. When using your > left arm to tune an upright, the pin would tend to move upwards (because > you > would be pushing up from underneath) and then settle back down. If you > used > your right arm, you would tend to pull down on the pin. Visa versa with > grands. > > AF > ----- Original Message ----- > From: ilex cameron ross > To: Pianotech > Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 2:44 PM > Subject: RE: Impact Tuning Lever > > > Thanks for sharing, Terry - this is really good to hear. I'm only in my > early 30s and due to a combination of tuning and a really really stupid > fall > a couple of years ago, I have pretty consistent problems with my tuning > wrist. Not to mention the weekly chiro visits for just general back and > shoulder crap. Anymore I absolutely have to wear a wrist brace when > tuning, > and I have been pondering the investment of an impact lever. I also like > your idea of using pitch raises to get used to left-handed work. I don't > really have the time to try and fine-tune with my left just yet. > Good news! > -holly > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On > Behalf Of Terry > Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 5:54 AM > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Impact Tuning Lever > > > A while ago I posted questions regarding purchase of an impact tuning > lever. I've been using it for a few months now and just thought I would > report in. > > For a couple years now I have been rastling with some kind of > torn/strained muscle/tendon in my shoulder (thanks to a Boston studio & a > 1098 on the same day) and tendonitis in the elbow - both in my tuning arm. > It had gotten to the point where I had walked away from several service > appointments because I knew tuning that piano would put me out of work for > some weeks. > > I've been using the impact lever for pitch raises on all vertical > pianos > unless they have very low-torque tuning pins. I use my trusty > Renner/Bowman > lever for tuning verticals and everything on grands. I pitch-raised > Kimball > and Baldwin consoles yesterday - both were raised more than 100 cents - > they > both got two pitch-raise passes and then a tuning pass. Both these pianos > had excessively tight tuning pins - easily around 200+ in-lbs. I used the > impact lever for these four pitch-raise passes and I have no arm pain > today > at all. The impact lever seems to have saved me! > > I impact the bass with my left hand and the rest of the scale with my > right - I'm trying to train myself to become ambidextrous with the impact > lever - again, in case I wreck an arm at some point I could keep tuning. I > can see that it will take quite a bit of practice to become good at fine > tuning with the impact lever, but I think using it for all vertical pitch > raises will eventually get me to the point where I can start attempting > using the impact lever for fine tuning - I would like to get to the point > where I can use it for all vertical tuning. > > Bottom line: the impact lever has saved my arm, avoided interruptions > in > income, and will likely extend my tuning career (unless soundboard > manufacturing can save me from the spinet devils!). I am very happy I have > started using this great tool! > > Terry Farrell > > >
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