post pitch-raise creep?

[David Andersen]

You're absolutely right on here, Farrell.  What's the damn rush?  Charge
more for your time.  I do a pitch raise in 30 minutes, a fine tuning in 75
minutes, and the piano stays where it is for a while, even when ya whack it
hard.  Just keep doing what sounds and feels right to you.  This is all
custom work.....

David Andersen



> Interesting indeed Bob. I typically spend about 45 minutes doing a
> significant pitch raise (PR) and then about an hour tuning. My observation
> is that most techs claim to do (and I presume do) a pitch raise in 20
> minutes or so - some as quick as 10 minutes. Some even do what might be
> called a "blind" PR where you figure out about how much of a pin turn is
> needed for the PR and then you just yank each pin that much and I guess
> cross your fingers (or at least that is what I would do).
> 
> But the thing I don't get with these quick PRs is that for a fine tuning,
> you really want the notes to be within about two cents of your target. I
> find that when I am raising the pitch 20 or 50 or however many cents, I need
> to make a couple motions of my lever to get within two cents of target (and
> I think I make a more stable tuning if I settle the string a bit). How can
> that be done in one quick motion?
> 
> Now kids, don't beat me up too terribly badly. I know I don't wield the
> fastest tuning lever in the west (or east or south or anywhere for that
> matter). But it seems to me that to provide an accurate stable tuning that
> you want to be making minimal pin movements during the fine tuning pass -
> and be starting with a string that is fairly stable - and that means you
> want the strings to be within a couple cents at most of target. And I don't
> see how that can be done during a 15 minute PR (at least by me - hey, I
> can't figure out how anyone can ride a unicycle either).
> 
> Be nice.