Overpulls was Re: Best Tuning Strategy using SAT III

[David Love]

I routinely overpull on pitch raises and consider it necessary in order to
leave the piano at A440.  I don't think I have any more string breakage on
pitch raises than I do on a normal tuning--which isn't much.  If it's ready
to break, it will probably break no matter what.  I do find that it's best
to bump down first when it's clear that the piano has not been tuned in a
long time and then use a quick jerk type of pull rather than a slow pull.
Breaking points are not really that close to the pitch of the string and
breakage is more likely to occur because of corrosion and accompanying
weakness at the contact points or where the string is bent around the coil
(when's the last time you broke a string in the middle of the speaking
length).  Arledge recommends pulling a new bass string (or strings) 30 cents
beyond the desired pitch and then coming back to them after 48 hours to
settle the bends and stabilize the tuning.  Tenor strings are at a much
lower %BP than the bass.  I can tell you that on new stringing jobs when
chipping to pitch I have, on occasion, gotten onto the wrong string and
tuned a bunch of strings a full semitone sharp with no breaks.  So I
wouldn't worry particularly about a 25 cents overpull.  Although, I admit
that when confronted with a 100 cents flat piano I do exercise some
disgression and allow for two rough passes before attempting a fine tuning.


David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net