[pianotech] interesting situation with a tuning

[Piano Boutique]

Marshall,

It's all in the numbers.   When you tune for years and people thank you for your good tuning, then you can tune.   When you come upon a piano that does not respond to you, then the numbers put that piano in a minority.

I have noticed over the years that everyone doubts themselves at one time or another.   Moods swing and certainly we all have left a piano getting less than stellar work.   But, it is still in the numbers:  how many pianos have you tuned well, and how many pianos have you tuned that were not so well.   This could be you or the environment, but still, I would bet they are in the smaller number.


Keep the faith,

William



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John Formsma 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 10:17 PM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] interesting situation with a tuning


  Marshall,


  It's possible it's your technique.


  We are going through weather changes from summer to fall. It could be related to humidity changes. You can tune a piano at 50% relative humidity. If the relative humidity goes down to 35%, the tuning will change in a couple of weeks. Usually the unisons will be pretty good, but everything else is off.


  I've tuned Kawai pianos with pins that felt like that. Tuning the first one (years ago) was difficult. But with experience, you learn to adapt to just about anything.


  What I would do, and have done, for that situation, is return to check on the tuning. If it has changed a lot, it's probably due to the humidity changes. Like Wim said, you can be a nice guy, or a nasty one. I generally am a nice guy for the first one, and don't charge for that situation. Do try to explain why pianos go out of tune. Hand out brochures, Piano Life Saver literature, etc. 


  -- 
  John Formsma, RPT

  Blue Mountain, MS




  On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 8:38 PM, Marshall Gisondi <pianotune05 at hotmail.com> wrote:

    Hi Everyone,
    First thank you William for the contact info of the insurance person that the PTG uses.  I meant to write sooner but it's been hectic lately. 
     
    Today I tuned for one of my regular customers, a church with several pianos.  A month ago I tuned one of the pianos in their fellowship hall, a Kawai 506N.  Today I'm told that it sounded funny during one of their Wednesday night services which was held in the fellowship hall  The piano was out of tune somewhat. I had to redo the temperament and some of the octaves.  The tuning pins had a strange feel to them, almost as if they had torque, but at the same time they didn't have good torque. They felt tight but not terribly, but moved without too much trouble.  Some flag polled easily if I wasn't careful. I needed a smaller tip but didn't have one. I have one size so far which has served me well, but once bills are caught up it's time to go shopping. :-)  In fact I set one pin and tested it, and it moved just by placing the tip on the pin.  So in setting them I had to pound away and make such tiny movements.  So what I'm wondering is, did the tunig go out because of something I did, the type of piano it is, temp/humidity change?  I was told the temp didn't change in this room. If the temprature is constant inside how much does outside tempratures/conditions affect the piano?  This one was a puzzler because they've been telling me that my tunings hold long.  In fact on a Yamaha GA1 the one Yamaha discontinued, my tunings are holding longer than the last person they used.  Am I losing any ability, or did I run into a problem piano?  
     
    Is the 506N a lower end Kawai and defective like the Yamaha G1 that was discontinued?  Thanks everyone
    Marshall

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