<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C55E4E.DA2AB860">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor="#D8D0C8" lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval: .5in'> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>You said that the pitch moved = significantly with firm play. This tells me that there is movement of tension across termination points. Try seating the strings at the back side of the = bridges first, then the front side. This will help to equal out the tension as = well as firm up the bridge contact to restrict movement. Check the plate bolts = too. If they are loose and the piano is moved the plate could shift enough to = affect the tension relationship between the back scale and the speaking length. Whatever the case tell the customer it’s the humidity and see if = you can make a DC sale. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font = size=3 color=navy face=ParkAveD><span = style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ParkAveD; color:navy;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;mso-no-proof:yes'= >Joseph D. Gotta RPT<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original = Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> = caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On = Behalf Of </span></b>Cy Shuster<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Saturday, May 21, = 2005 8:22 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> CAUT<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [CAUT] Pitch = drops on individual strings</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>I'm seeing some strange pitch drops in = individual strings, and I can't figure out why.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>First, the = history.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>This is a 1974 Yamaha C3, in pretty good = shape, in the large band room of a community college, with central HVAC.  No D-C = on the piano.  Three weeks ago, we moved it overnight to two different = off-campus locations for the spring concert series (half an hour ride in a pickup = truck each time -- yikes!  I covered it up, but still...).  It's had = five tunings in the last month, and I've recorded humidity each time.  I = use TuneLab Pro, and used the same stored tuning each = time.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>The series ended May 1, and I tuned it just = before that concert.  It survived the concert sounding good; no slipped unisons.  It's been in the same spot for three weeks, uncovered, = lid down.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Now, the = mystery.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>On Tuesday, they asked me to tune for a = recording the next day, mentioning that a few unisons were out in the top two = octaves.  I measured all the A's before I tuned (as is my habit).  A4 and = below were right on, except A1 and A2 were up about two cents (humidity is = rising).  A5 was up 3c, A6 down 6, A7 down 3.  I noticed that in many treble unisons, one or two strings would be way off: either a string would be = right on, or off by a considerable amount (is it my string-settling technique?).  I also noticed that many strings would move a lot if = I pounded on them, before touching the pin.  I worked hard on those = top two sections of the plate, making sure every string was well settled, and = wouldn't move.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Yesterday, they called me back to tune their = other piano, and also mentioned that the top two octaves were out on the = Yamaha again (!).  I checked it, and A2 and below were spot-on, as were A6 and above.  But in the middle three octaves, a dozen notes had one, = two, or three strings off by two or three cents (A4 was down five cents!).  = All but one were flat.  Again, either a string would be exactly in = tune, or off by a lot.  I checked the pitch of every string before I began = to tune, and chalk-marked the tuning pin of each string that was out (for next time).  </span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>They did mention that they turned off the A/C = in the room for the recording (because of noise), and then fired it up full = blast during breaks.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Here's the temp/humidity record (graph attached).  Humidity was lower in the two off-campus locations, and = has climbed steadily upwards.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>4/10: 72F, 42%</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>4/17: 68F, 32% = (off-campus)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>5/1:   68F, 39-41% (back home; = last concert)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>5/17: 72F, 44-48%RH. = </span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>5/20: 72F, = 55%</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>By the way, the other piano didn't exhibit = this symptom of individual strings falling, and others staying right = on.  This is really the heart of the mystery to me.  My experience with pitch = swings from humidity is that it affects strings evenly.  The other = piano is a D in a different room, with similar humidity, also last tuned 5/1.  It was sharp a few cents evenly across the middle, dropping = down to -10 in the top octave.  <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Maybe it is my tuning lever = technique?  I usually finish a string by coming down to pitch, to make sure the pin = has no residual torque; maybe I'm leaving some tension in the front string = segment that settles back to the speaking length during play, or humidity changes?  In writing this history, I notice that the top two = sections that I worked hard on Tuesday night were still fine; the problems I found = yesterday were lower down.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>The other possible suspect is loose bridge = pins.  Earlier I had noticed a consistent drop around A6 on some strings, and = found I could slightly move a few leading bridge pins with screwdriver = pressure.  How this would lead to pitch drop, I'm not exactly = sure...<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>--Cy Shuster--<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Bluefield, WV<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>