Loss and Piano Tuning ( was: hearing etc.)

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 05:18 PM 5/7/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Conrad, What is a thumper?  Is that something used to strike the key?
>Marshall
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Conrad Hoffsommer" <hoffsoco at luther.edu>
>To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2006 3:35 PM
>Subject: Re: Loss and Piano Tuning ( was: hearing etc.)

Folks,

My "thumper" is philosophically different than Farrell's.  My left hand 
isn't large enough to hold his type and play an octave without doing a 
nasty tone cluster. (forsooth, my span is only an octave)  Mine started 
life as simply a thumper to check key bedding and soundboard integrity. I 
morphed it into something more useful after my carpal surgeries.

What I do is to hold it as shown until it's thumping time, then (first 
letting go of the tuning hammer) do a karate chop to the key.  Enroute the 
key, I change the grip from pinky to thumb and forefinger. When the key is 
struck, my hand slides down the dowel (which has lead weighting in it). 
This means that the force of the blow is taken by the thumper _not_ my 
wrist. Sorry I didn't have my wristband on for the picture to show my full 
"road warrior" regalia... ;-}

It is simply a 5/8" x 5" dowel with a chunk of hammerfelt on the end, 
partially bored out and lead weighted (I had some 1/4' weights laying 
around at the time).  You can also see that a ball ended tuning handle 
won't work for me.

As they say, "different strokes for different folks".

YMMV


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Conrad Hoffsommer - Keyboard Technician
Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
1-(563)-387-1204 // Fax 1-(563)-387-1076

- Right now, I'm hoping to live until my age matches my golf score,
- Until then, I'll have to be content to have my IQ match my handicap.