Pitch Raisins: Test repsonse

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In response to Dean's question, did any one else try this?.

I did a test on a 10 year old Lowrey, which hadn't been tuned for 10 years.
Below are the results. The reading were made with a SOT.
 1. First reading before pitch raising
 2. Temperament Pitches after raising A  15 cents high
 3. Readings after tuning only the middle string
 4. Readings after 1st complete pitch raise
 5. Readings 1 hour later
 6. Readings 6 days later

         1       2       3       4       5      6
C1   -50              -21    -18     -20   -21
E1   -60              -5      -14    -22    -17
G#1 -60              -14      8      11    -14
C2   -22              -2       -5     -15    -15
E2   -45              -5       -5      -9      -9
G#2 -39              -2       -5      -5      -13
C3   -40              -3       -5      -5      -6
E3   -40               2       -4      -6      -5
G#3 -36              -7       -13    -11    -11
C4   -45      10     10       0       0      -1
E4   -51        8     9        -4      -3      -5
G#4 -40       12    11      -7      -6      -6
A4               15
C5   -47               18       0       3       0
E5   -38               36       25     26(3)  3
G#5 -64               21       -2       -1      -1
C6   -60               22        6        5      -4
E6   -54               18       -5        -4      6
G#6 -22               24       -4        -3     -3
C7   -22               34       -4         2      5
E7   --1                38       -7         8     10
G#7 -24                87      45        5-(34)  34

I use the middle string frist method, tuning by ear. I start in the middle,
and work my way up, then complete the lower-treble and bass last. When I tune
outside strings, I start in the middle of the piano, and work my way up
again, and then the lower-treble and bass. When I finish up the other outside
string, I again start on the same note in the middle, and work my way up, and
then the lower-treble and bass.

This experiment showed me that the most pitch drop occurs after the 2 outside
strings were brought up to pitch. After that there really is not much change.


 I have been using this method for several years, and am quite happy with it,
with hardly any broken strings. But as I mentioned in my earlier post, I very
seldom do a pitch raise on an older piano.


Wim Blees
St. Louis