strings cannot be tuned!

[Frederick G Scoles]

On Thu, 16 Jan 1997 Russell Schmidt wrote:


>        I service a Howard Grand piano. The owner told me when I started
> tuning for him that there were three notes in  the upper treble that would
> not stay in tune . He mentioned that there had been a string or two replaced
> on those notes so I thought it must be going out of tune before the rest of
> the piano because of the new strings streaching . However, I had a terible
> time tuning these notes . they are the G6 , G#6 , and A6 . The G and G# are
> the two notes to the Left of the highest plate strut and the A
> is to the Right of the strut . Each time I would tune these notes a good test
> blow would knock them out again. Even trying to anticipates how much the test
> blow would drop the
> pitch of the note did not help. After about 15 minutes on these three notes I
> was somehow able to stabalize them and the owner said they stayed in tune
> longer than usual. On my next visit it was even worse . I must have spent 20
> minutes trying to tune these notes and when they were stabalized the unisons
> did not match well.
>
>                                Russell Schmidt R.P.T.
>
>                                 Lexington , KY
>
Russell,  Is this Howard grand made in Korea, because I've had what seems
to be similar problems tuning a ten year old small Samick (Korean, G172 I
think).  The Samick seems to be extremely unstable on the one or two
strings on both sides of the treble plate strut that I think you are also
referring to. I have attempted, unsuccessfully to determine the cause.
This Samick is in a church and keeps a decent tuning for only about 3
months, and then needs complete retuning (at least 5 times per year), and
the strings mentioned in your note require retuning at least every week
on the Samick.  The Samick has tight tuning pins, tight plate and case
screws, solid bridges; I haven't figured out the problem (or the repair)
yet.  Since the Samick was only $8,000 10yr. ago new, the dealer and
Samick have expressed no interest in helping out with advice or warranty,
either.The Samick has an extended factory warranty, but apparently that
means little here. Are the Howard and Samick having the same problem?  If
so, does anyone have a solution to the problem?

I think we have previously discussed the older Korean grand tuning
instability problem and possible solutions; but has this extreme
instability of those two notes straddling the treble strut been
previously discussed? I will install a complete Dampp-Chaser system into
the Samick next month, so don't know yet if it will cure the problem.

Fred Scoles,  RPT
Oswego, NY

PS  I also agree that this months cover photograph of Mr. Smith and Mr.
Coleman at the Tuneoff is excellent.