Sanderson Accu-tuner

[Tom Servinsky]

My take on ETDs are similar to what calculators are to a good accountant. 
Accountants have to know the rules of the game,understand the rules of math, 
and choose a machine which fits their premise. The machine follows the 
accountant, not the other way around.
And is short, that's the way to properly understand and use any one of the 
many ETD's out there. They all have their take on bells and whistles. For 
me, I still find the aural aspect of our work very intriguing and 
challenging. However that being said, my work load can be very demanding on 
any given day and the ETD ( SAT III, my drug of choice) has allowed me to 
keep plugging along at a very productive pace.
For the record, my older SAT II was purchased in 1986, used daily for 20 yrs 
without a glitch. Back in the 80's, the machine was comparatively more 
expensive then today's machines. I think that I paid $1200 for the II, and 
figuring over the course of 20 yrs, and still running fine for my shop use, 
proved to be a pretty good bang for the buck. Thus the logical choice to 
purchase the newer III over the brands was well justified in my mind. Not 
knocking the other ETD's, but I'm a man of routine, and if something is that 
dependable day after day, has a proven level of accuracy,even after a few 
drops off of the piano and keeps ticking, then it gets my vote.
I'm with others who have made the comment that the ETD made them a much 
better tuner. Couldn't agree more.

Tom Servinsky


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 11:25 PM
Subject: RE: Sanderson Accu-tuner


> All of them do a decent job.  It just depends on how you like to work, how
> much weight you want to carry, how often you like to recharge, how much 
> you
> want to tweak or get into the programmability.  My view of ETD's is that 
> for
> real quality tuning you must always monitor their decisions anyway so 
> choose
> the one that is the simplest to use and performs the tasks as quickly and
> efficiently as you need.  They are a nice tool and relieve a lot of the
> stress in less than ideal tuning situations.
>
> The SATIII is lightweight, long charge time, easy to use, good for direct
> interval checking, decent pitch raise function.  The VT has all the bells
> and whistles, is programmable, contains a large cache of temperaments,
> alleges to measure every note and set up a custom scale, gives lots of 
> data
> on the screen, decent pitch raise function, but is heavy, needs more
> frequent recharging, some people don't like the display.  The RCT is
> lightweight, needs frequent charging, has probably the best pitch raise
> function, several stretch options.  Each supplier will give you more data
> than I have provided but think about how you will use it and what matters
> and then make your decision.  I happen to agree with David A. that aural
> skills are still very necessary as machines calculate theoretical curves 
> and
> you need to make practical decisions based on each piano's idiosyncrasies.
> I tuned for 20 years or more strictly aurally before I bought a ETD. 
> While
> you don't necessarily need to follow that lead, don't forgo developing 
> aural
> skills just because you have a machine.  Often, they make mistakes which 
> you
> need to override.
>
> David Love
> davidlovepianos at comcast.net
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Wayne Walker
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 11:55 AM
> To: 'Pianotech List'
> Subject: RE: Sanderson Accu-tuner
>
>
>
> I second your motion, as I have been using a Sat for years I'm very happy
> with it.
>
> Wayne
> Wayne Walker
> Piano Tuner / Technician
> Musicstop Acoustic Piano Service
> 264 Herring Cove Road
> Halifax, NS, Canada
> B3P 1M1
> 902-221-1540
> 902-496-0041 Fax
> www.musicstop.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul McCloud [mailto:service at pianosd.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 2:18 PM
> To: 'Pianotech List'
> Subject: RE: Sanderson Accu-tuner
>
>
> Rick:
> I have to put in a plug for the Accutuner.  I am still using mine,
> though I had it refurbished a few years ago.  The refurbishing included a
> new face and buttons and a new battery and microphone.  The core of the 
> unit
> is still original..I purchased this machine in 1988, and it's still 
> running
> perfectly.  Ask anyone if their Pocket PC has been around for that long.
> I'll admit that there are more elaborate features on the other units, and
> that's nice.  I don't have the newest SAT III, which includes more 
> features
> than mine, like the double octave beat, RPT exam, and such.  I don't need
> them, at least enough to buy the new machine.  Another consideration is 
> the
> display itself.  The LED lights are very easy to see, and don't drain the
> batteries as much as the computer display does in a PPC.  Battery life is
> phenomenal, about 1 charge per month.  The light display is instantaneous-
> there's no lag as the computer displays the spinner.  I've owned both, so 
> I
> can tell you I prefer the LED's.
> In no way will I disparage the other units, including the Verituner,
> which I have never owned.  They are all fantastic in their own right. 
> Just
> be aware of all the pro's and con's of the technology in each unit.
> Good luck.
>
> Paul McCloud
> San Diego
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Ron Koval
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 8:52 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Sanderson Accu-tuner
>
> Hi Rick,
>
> I'm going to second Jon's recommendation to check out the Verituner -
> available as a stand-alone unit or as software for the pocket pc.  There 
> is
> plenty of specific help from other techs at the Verituner forum if you do
> choose to go this route.  Even though the tunings are good using the 
> default
>
> settings, to maximize the potential of the machine, there is an easy to
> understand custom style function that really makes a difference in the 
> final
>
> product.
>
> I'm encouraged by your statement:
> "I will never be completely satisfied with my work as a tuner until I am
>
> satisfied with it as a teacher and musician."
>
> That's the most important thing!  Too many times it's easier to create a
>
> tuning that passes "tuner's checks", but lacks "musicality".  I think the
> Verituner could be a big help to you progressing to your goal.
>
> Ron Koval
> Chicagoland
>
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