[pianotech] Developing confidence - was Steinway Upright

[Terry Farrell]

DAVID!!!  Please be careful what you say! You stated that:
> ...there is one particular model
> of Steinway I've heard technicians curse, but I never run into
> them.


If you have not run into them, then how can you conclude?:
> ...it's just another piano, and no more daunting than any
> other.


My experience is that just about any S&S vertical - console, studio  
upright, upright made since 1950 or so can pose a good bit of a  
challenge to the average tech. If the pins are fairly tight or tighter  
in the block, with no tuning bushings, I certainly find  these things  
to be a bit of a bear to tune and be confident they will hold their  
tune. If yours is an old upright, it probably won't be much different  
than any other old upright. I have about a dozen S&S verticals in my  
regular service - a few old ones, but most since 1950.

But don't fear the piano. If you do find setting the pins to be  
troublesome, just realize it will take a bit more time. Try different  
motions with your tuning lever and see if you don't find one that  
works better for you than others. There is a book that I bought maybe  
ten years ago that addressed nothing but tuning lever technique - what  
was the name of it? - maybe someone will chime in with the name - it  
might be good to read that before tuning this piano as it might give  
you some lever methods you hadn't thought to try.

Terry Farrell

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf
> Of David Nereson
>
> Nah, it's just another piano, and no more daunting than any
> other.  Go for it.  Each one has its own feel in the pinblock,
> and each one has strings that render slightly differently,
> regardless of make.  It may have pins that are "waving around in
> the breeze," as Newton Hunt used to put it, because of the lack
> of tuning pin bushings, but there are other pianos one can say
> the same thing about;  you just have to find out by feel as to
> how to set the strings/pins.  Now, there is one particular model
> of Steinway I've heard technicians curse, but I never run into
> them.  Are you tuning an old old upright with double flanges or
> what?
>    --David Nereson, RPT