False Beats in Wurlies

Joseph Garrett joegarrett at earthlink.net
Sat Jan 20 09:45:57 MST 2007


Jon Page said: "It's like mowing weeds"; was a comment I heard many years ago
about tuning a spinet. I'm not sure of exactly how it pertains
to pianos but it does convey the precept of not trying to be perfect.

Speed tuning. You'll be surprised that if you go through these, with
less regard, in 30 t0 45 minutes, that it will sound as well as had you
spent 1.5 hrs or more on it. False beats be damned, customers don't
hear it; to them it actually make the note "sound" for them. The reason
they purchased a short vertical was for: 1: space; 2: price. Or vise versa.

False beats in larger pianos/grands require more serious consideration.

Save your ears for the customers who require a fine tuning on a
piano that doesn't stress your hearing or perception. After all,
tuning is to a greater degree perception than hearing."



Jon,
I would have to, respectfully disagree. I just finished untangling a mouse mess/poor tuner/tuning on a Wurlie Console. This was done for a really avid student/pianist. When I was finished she absolutely was ecstatic that her lowly "pianer" could sound and play so good. As my olde teacher used to say, after testing a PSO tuning: "It sounds better than it has a right to!" (This, after a meticulous tuning.) I think we really sell our clients short on this and feel the added effort pays off in the end. Just because a client has a POS/PSO does not mean that they can't HEAR! Bad assumption IMO.
Just my thoughts on the matter.


Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
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