Birdcage tuning

[David Ilvedson]

The name came from the damper wires hanging down in front of the action...imagine a birdcage opened up...spread open...it would look similar...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, California






Original message
From: "Philippe Errembault" 
To: "Pianotech List" 
Received: 5/14/2006 6:49:13 AM
Subject: Re: Birdcage tuning


Hey, this looks exactly like my piano !!! Are they "usually" nicknamed "birdcages", or is just a funny name invented by Jim ?
 
I was warned against the risk of string breakage with such an old thing, but having tuned it once or twice and slightly raised it, I decided to try it up to A440 and there were absolutely no problems. no string breakage at all. (there was no rust... this piano rested for 60 years under the mediteranean climate)
 
About the mute, I also remove the action, which takes me 5 seconds (turn both the wooden locks on the side, tilt the action and lift it and put it on the top - a little bit longer to put it back...) but it's not so easy to put the felt strip to a place were it is not going to hinder the action. I usualy put is as low as I can. For the bass, you can even open the bottom panel and put the felt in the lower part of the piano.
 
For the papp's mute, I always wondered how do blind or sight impaired tuners in front of such a piano. Not that it is not possible, but seeing what you do when inserting the mute between the hammer's shanks and the damper lift wires can help much... especially since you need to move the hammers shanks to insert it in between, and then, when you remove it, it tends to grab everything it can... (you know, like when you try to put the cat in the transport cage to bring it to the vet :-) )
 
Philippe Errembault
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jurgen Goering 
To: pianotech at ptg.org 
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:14 AM
Subject: Birdcage tuning


Birdcage tuning with strip mutes can be a breeze. Pull back or take out the action (quicker to do with birdcages than contemporary actions) and strip mute below the strike line from the tenor section all the way to the top. Replace the action. I also like to strip mute the bass above the damper assembly because of the leaky dampers. Then I tune all the middle strings, remove the strip mutes and tune the outer strings using a Papp's mute. No need for a lamp to see where you are - moving the Papp's mute along, across the unisons, tells me exactly where I am.

Jurgen Goering
Piano Forte Supply
(250) 754-2440
info at pianofortesupply.com
http://www.pianofortesupply.com

----- Original Message -----
From: Jim 
To: Pianotech List 
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 2:09 AM
Subject: Birdcage tuning

Other issues aside, how does one strip mute a piano of this design . . 
They really give me a pain . .  luckily, only have a few customers with these 'antiques' . .
JIm Kinnea
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