Can't tune a thing

Leslie W Bartlett lesbart@juno.com
Thu, 13 Mar 1997 16:44:56 -0500 (EST)


Today I went to a school to tune a new piano and inquired about an older
one which the teacher said went out of tune shortly after I tuned it. She
said it had gone out quickly the time before, so I had spent a long time
setting strings, etc.  , I went over the piano again today , finding a
lot of stuff sort-of out, but not far. Was about to leave and "Pa-paw"
the custodian caught me. This guy is kinda dumb- like a fox ,in his
seventies, and plays an absolutely wicked Blues piano.  He said he'd go
back with me to that piano.  A Baldwin console, school-type.  Notes I had
"cleaned up" fifteen minutes ago were now half a beat off.  We spent
nearly an hour on about five notes, tuning them until both of us agreed,
"That's absolutely right." Ten minutes later there would be a slight
wobble. The tone, too bright by far, was aided when I filed a few hammers
just to see what would happen.  But stability in the tuning was
impossible to achieve. Any help with this one?

Leslie Bartlett M. Mus
Houston Chapter PTG
lesbart@juno.com




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