More on hearing protection

[John M. Formsma]

OK, tune very softly - just loud enough to hear whatever you're listening
for when you tune. With the hammer shank in the same hand as your lever, set
the pin and the string with the lever where you think it won't move. Then
take the shank and slightly deflect the string. Obviously, you don't want to
be Arnold Schwarzenegger here - enough to see a bit more deflection than you
think you might get with your severest blows. Experiment - it's doubtful you
will damage anything with a hammer shank. Then check for pitch change. If
it's changed, you didn't set the string well enough or didn't deflect the
string enough. Repeat until there is no pitch change. Then, to verify this
works, get adequate ear protection and beat the stuffing out of the string.

 

That's about as good as I can think to describe it.

 

Experiment.enjoy!  ;-)

 

John Formsma

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Jason Kanter
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 6:35 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE: More on hearing protection

 

I'll give it a shot. You say that instead of a hard test blow, you deflect
the string with a stick. How, where, what is the sequence?

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of John M. Formsma
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 3:16 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE: More on hearing protection

Andrew,

 

I'm not exactly sure just what you're asking.  Maybe say it a different way?
Sorry to be dense.

 

John Formsma

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Andrew and Rebeca Anderson
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 2:14 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: RE: More on hearing protection

 

John,
I'm one of this thumper grasped in my fist test-blowing tuners.  I've always
thought there's got to be a better way but haven't got the stability I want
without it.  How does it work (mechanically) in practice to play and then
test?

Andrew

At 08:25 PM 6/8/2006, you wrote:

Geoff,
 
I just learned a new thing to allow one to tune a piano at pianissimo
levels. *(Courtesy of Leonard Gustafson, RPT, of the Memphis PTG chapter,
who picked it up from a Steinway tech doing a technical at one of our
chapter meetings.)
 
Anyway, you use a vertical hammer shank (or something similar) to slightly
deflect the string after its tuned. The idea is that a hard test blow will
show any string movement (from deflection by the hammer). A deflection by a
hammer shank will also do this, but at a greater level than the severest
test blow ever could. I used this yesterday on the four pianos I tuned (2
verts & 2 grands), and it worked very well, although its slow at first b/c
its a new skill. I gave one string ten whacks as hard as I could, and
nothing moved in the slightest. I also did a few hard blows in various
sections to ensure that it works everywhere. Im very glad to know of this
as my playing/test blow elbow has been sore lately.
 
The only downside I can see is that it might take a bit longer at first.
(Leonard tunes in 45min to 1 hour, so it hasnt slowed him down.) The
positives are that we wont have hearing loss from hard test blows, and body
damage is also greatly reduced. Ill gladly trade test blows for a few more
years of hearing and less pain.
 
John Formsma
 
 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [ mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
<mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org> ] On Behalf Of Geoff Sykes
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 2:00 AM
To: Pianotech at Ptg. Org
Subject: More on hearing protection
 
With the "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Part 2" article in the Q&A section of
The Journal, I'd like to hear from some fellow tech's who have tried the Zem
earplugs, by Sensgard. They're ugly, but the technology is such a different
approach than just a simple "plug" that perhaps they could be very useful. I
have been using 32db foam Hearos, but I find that while the foam is
comfortable I get a lot of attenuation variation from one set to the next,
and they're not that flat in response. I also have a pair of Etymotic High
Fidelity Earplugs, (identical to the Hearos High Fidelity Ear Filters),
which work great. My only complaints are that they're not that long term
comfortable and that since the frequency response is much flatter, the
attenuation, (rated at 20db), is perhaps a little too much. Zem claims 32db
reduction. 
 
-- Geoff Sykes
-- Assoc. Los Angeles

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20060609/5a54047b/attachment.html