[pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques

[Elwood Doss]

If it's a grand, I strip mute the whole piano.  If it's an upright I
strip mute all but the treble damper area (I used to damp that section
too).  I always use the damper pedal when I strip mute the piano; I also
use the damper pedal when I pull the strips.  I like doing it and find I
can move fairly rapidly as I tune.  Also since I've diagnosed myself as
being ADD (if I was 50 years younger I'd be on Ritalin), it helps me to
remember where I was when my mind wanders back to the tuning job.  It
also helps when I doze.

Joy!
Elwood 

Elwood Doss, Jr., M.Mus.Ed., RPT
Piano Technician/Technical Director
Department of Music
358 Clement Hall
The University of Tennessee at Martin
Martin, TN  38238
731/881-1852
FAX: 731/881-7415
HOME: 731/587-5700
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Wilson [mailto:pianocare2 at bigpond.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:24 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques

Hi Ron
Thanks for your comments.... you read my mind as I forgot to mention the
damper pedal and you always find a better way of writing emails AFTER
you
send them.
I always imagine another technician... usually a low pitched gruff
Japanese
or a southern German.. when I am tuning. Then I always remember lifting
the
dampers....I know the reaction from my imaginary technician if I
don't.....
Or an Australian (s) with colourful language......
Regards
Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Thursday, 6 August 2009 1:06 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques

Brian Wilson wrote:

> Some common complaints against temperament strips:
> 
> Strings move, no good for dampers, not hearing the real 3 strings,
they 
> are for amateurs, some piano owners think they are part of their
piano,
>------------------------------- 
> Some common bad points for single mutes:
> 
> Inaccurate temperament, ruining damper felts.

Earlier this spring, I tuned for a pair touring with a couple 
of NY Steinway Ds. One of them was reported to have damping 
problems - the piano, that is. I found that someone previously 
had pulled the ends off the trichord dampers by improper 
muting, and I had to clear out the detritus and do some 
trimming to get the dampers to seat again. It's amazing to me 
that I still occasionally talk to people who have never heard 
of such a thing as lifting dampers before inserting 
temperament strips. Yours is the first mention, other than the 
times I've asked and not gotten responses, of the damage done 
with single mutes. Tuners I've watched using single mutes have 
inserted mutes with the dampers down, with no apparent concern 
or even awareness of the potential for damage to the dampers, 
while they'd be horrified to see someone strip the same 
section with the dampers down.

Ron N

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