Reverse Thread tuning pins

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Surely this idea is not still being touted as a "feature!"

What this means is simply that the threads are cut -- rather than rolled -- and
that the burrs that naturally remain from the cutting process are oriented in
such a way that they point counter-clockwise around the pin.

Some marketing genius noticed this and started touting it as a "feature,"
explaining that this helped to keep the piano in tune by preventing the tuning
pin from turning in a counterclockwise direction. And we all know how much of a
problem this is in a piano with a good pinblock. All that this whole idea
accomplished was to illustrate at least the ignorance, if not the outright
stupidity, of the marketing department that dreamed it up and started promoting
it.

If what is portrayed were actually the case, just think what the "feature" would
do to the pinblock If some poor piano tuner was ever unfortunate enough to have
to turn the pin counterclockwise during the course of tuning the piano -- never
happens, right? -- he/she would be ripping the pinblock to shreds.

Now, there are indeed little shards of metal left over from the threading
process. But mostly they bend over or break off during the stringing process.
What few do remain quickly fill with wood fibers so that any "ratchet" effect is
negated. Good thing, too. Else we'd all be replacing these pinblocks after a
just a few tunings.

Regards,

Del

--------------------------------------------

atonal@planet.eon.net wrote:

> Greetings all,
>
>         Lately, I've been going over some new piano product literature, and
> everyone is bragging about "reverse cut thread" or "reverse torque"
> tuning pins. Does this indicate the threads are cut
> counter-clockwise, clockwise, or is it just marketing bumf?
>
> Curiously yours,
>
> Rob Kiddell,
> Registered Piano Technician, PTG
> atonal@planet.eon.net
>
> "Server's poor response
> Not quick enough for browser
> Time out, Plum Blossom"
>
> -Netscape haiku error message