Tuning sequence question

[David Boyce]

>There is no reason to not strip mute just the temperament area--but it is
>entirely possible to do it with a single mute--or a split mute and get the
>benefits of "unisons as you go".

I've never used a strip at all. I use a Papps wedge on uprights, and a 
single rubber wedge on grands.  The Papps wedge is fast and positive, and 
given the number of  - some quite decent - birdcage action pianos here, 
practical.  As I grew up, we had two different tuners over the years for our 
own piano, and both used the Papps wedge.   I observed a very experienced 
blind tuner at work in one of London's large piano showrooms, and he used a 
single rubber wedge on a Fazioli grand.

There was some discussion of this on here a few years ago, as I recall.  I 
tended to side with the person who suggested that unisons-as-you-go is 
faster and quickly lets you here if a string has drifted.

At the Piano Tuners Association conventions in the 1980s I noticed a variety 
of approaches, by very experienced and exccellent tradesmen (including a 
surprising variety of tuning lever techniques), so I guess if your method 
works for you and is fast and stable, it's OK!

David.