Weird detuning

[Les Smith]

On Mon, 22 Dec 1997, JIMRPT wrote:

> 
> In a message dated 12/22/97 11:20:52 AM, magraham@bw.edu wrote:
> <<"Frankly, if evidence supported it, I would say someone deliberately
> detuned four notes. After all, some strings were severely sharp, more than
> 50 cents.">>
> <<"My own sanity is at stake here.
> Mark Graham">>
> 
> Mark;
>  You are a piano tech and there are serious questions pertaining to your
> sanity anyway :-)....don't worry bout it !
>   I had a similiar incident happen about five years ago on a S&S 'M' in the
> temperament area.  I never did figure out what happened to cause it and have
> not had any problems with that piano since.  I just decided it was headspacing
> on the tuners part and went on to other things that I did have control over.
> Jim Bryant (FL)
> 

Someone may be playing a prank on you. You don't NEED a tuning hammer to
turn a tuning pin. I have seen do-it-yourself approaches which have in-
volved small crescent wrenches and vise-grips. All left tell-tale marks
on the pins. Next time out, you might want to inspect the pins closely
for such marks, maybe even with a magnifying glass. If something like
this is going on, the owner should be made aware of it, because the
jokester's next trick might be to spray the pins with WD-40, or some-
thing else equally (un)amusing. Good luck.

Happy Holidays,

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net