More about pin bending

[PSLOANE@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU]

When I first came to Oberlin, I had the occasion to work with a technician,
Wally Buchanan, who is now retired. Wally is visually impaired, and when he
worked at Oberlin, he did mostly tuning. It didn't take me long to realize,
that Wally was able to tune our brand "S" verticals (and believe me, they
had strings that just didn't want to move) quickly, accurately, and so that
they would stay in tune. I thought for sure he had a connection with the
devil because prayer, meditation, and one hundred and one different kinds
of hammer technique didn't do a damn bit of good for me. So I figured I
would watch him and maybe sell my soul, also, to get those suckers to sound
in tune.

Guess what? Wonder of wonders. Me the purist, who thought the only correct
way to move a string was to turn the tuning pin (and ever so carefully so
that you don't flex the pin) could not believe my eyes. Wally didn't even
turn pins unless the pitch of the string was far enough off to warrant it.
And guess what, Wally had been tuning these pianos for years this way, and
the pins felt as tight as brand new piano. I asked myself, "Should I discard
the tradition that had been drummed into me and become a believer?" Hell
yes! Now when I tune these brand "S" verticals or any other piano with
"hanging" strings, I flex and bend with the rest of the believers. Even if
the piano is flat, and I have to turn the pins to some degree, I stop turn
ing before I reach the dsired pitch and flex it in. Try it for yourself
if you are "hung up" on turning, you might like it.

Cheers, Ken Sloane, Oberlin Conservatory