SAT Pitch Raises

[John Musselwhite]

At 08:58 AM 12/04/96 -0600, Dick Day wrote:

>ise using the method in the SAT manual I find that by
>the time I get to F6 or so all of notes starting around F4 have gone flat.  I
>have tried the procedure measuring 5 to 6 times over the keyboard,  measuring
>once, and measuring every note.  I still get the same result.  I am sure the

It actually sounds like you might not be doing it right if you're having
that many problems. I do a pitch raise (or lower!) on every piano that's
more than a 5-10 cents out anywhere using the basic method described in the
manual (actually, a xeroxed handout on mine) for a 25% overpull. Set the SAT
for a stored tuning similar to that piano's and start at A0.  Do not use any
compensation for wound strings. Beginning with the first plain strings,
reset the SAT every time it shifts the partial it's reading. This method
almost always results in a consistant and stable pitch raise for me. I might
add that if the piano is out more than 20 cents don't expect wonderful
results on the first pass and don't dawdle while doing it.

>Another question-- I have it on good authority, from an excellent tuner,
> that it is possible to PR a piano in 20-25 minutes using the SAT.  I used to

It is possible to do it in half that, actually. If all you really want to do
is equalize tension on a first pass and you're practiced at it you may not
need any mutes and you often spend as much time moving mutes as you do
moving the pins.  I usually spend about 20 minutes doing the raise unless
it's drastic or I have problems. Very often I find after a quick and
reasonably careful pitch raise on the average Yamaha, Kawai or Baldwin there
is little to be done on the final pass (doing all the aural tests of course,
because ultimately the Accutuner is a just a tool and it doesn't understand
the concept of "beauty") and it may actually take LESS time to get it into tune.

>be able to do this with my old Peterson Tuner and my ears, but find that I
>take an average of 1 1/4 to do the same job with the SAT.

An hour and a quarter is a fairly long time for a pitch raise. I was taught
that it should be done as fast as possible so that the tensions will
stabilize across the entire piano quickly. If the piano needs a drastic
pitch raise, stability will return only after time and careful attention, so
there are limits on what you can do in one session. I make sure the customer
knows that, and give them the PTG tech bulletin on pitch raising.

"Stability" depends on more than how well you can set a pin. If the plate
bolts are loose and the pin coils not seated etc. the piano won't be stable
regardless of where you leave the tuning pin and it will change while you're
tuning, so plan for the extra time it takes to do the mechanical
stabilization first unless you know it's been done already. I might add, if
there are action adjustments to be made, do them after the pitch raise and
before the final tuning to let the strings settle a bit.

Unless the piano is a particularly "difficult" (or impossible for that
matter) one requiring more time, going over it twice and checking the
regulation and voicing shouldn't take more than an hour and a half and it
results in a much more satisfactory tuning and a happier client.

The emphasis on preparation shouldn't be minimized, especially if you don't
"know" the instrument. The extra half hour it takes fighting the piano with
a tuning hammer in an effort to stabilize it might be better utilized in
taming it first by spending that time ensuring it is mechanically stable.

                        John
John Musselwhite, RPT
Calgary, Alberta Canada
musselj@cadvision.com