pianotech-digest V1997 #853

Warren Fisher fish@communique.net
Tue, 02 Jun 1998 16:26:48 -0700


Jim, there are two things that happen in the high treble.

The SAT picks up harmonics from the rest of the strings below.  A lot of
what shows up is from the "waste" portions of the longer strings below. 
A lot of these segments are considerably longer than the strings you are
trying to tune!  Many tuners routinely place weighted tubes of cloth
along the aliquot segments to clean up what they are hearing in aural
tuning.  What causes the problem is that the harmonics cause a stronger
pattern than the primary vibration you are trying to tune. This is my
procedure for eliminating the majority of the problems.

1. Raise the pich on the string until you get a slowly blinking center
light.
2. Pick up the tuner with the hand you use on the lever and while you
softly play the note, rotate the SAT slowly counter-clockwise about
ninety degrees.  Simultaneously move your head so you can see the lights
okay.
3. Somewhere around the 45 degree position the harmonics will decrease
dramatically and you will be able to see the basic pattern.  
4. Maintain that angle and place the SAT where you can work with it and
continue tuning.  Pivot the SAT slightly as you go to check the
situation, because the angle will change.  Also check the forty-five on
your right side.  It may be better in some pianos.  Also try laying the
SAT on its' back or on one end.
5.  Once you have trained your eye and mind, you will see just the
pattern and ignore the harmonics.

Hope this helps,

Warren



james turner wrote:

> Also, is the RCT really harder to read over the LED's of the SAT?  With
> my current SAT ll, I often have trouble reading the last two octaves in
> the high treble.  This has always anoyed me to no end.  Moving the
> machine sometimes help, but often it doesn't.
> 

> 
> I have never heard anyone else mention this problem with the SAT and the
> high treble so is it just me or what.  If I decide to get a RCT, I hope
> it does better in the high octaves than the SAT.
> Jim Turner

-- 
Warren D. Fisher
fish@communique.net
Registered Piano Technician
Piano Technicians Guild
New Orleans Chapter 701


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