Birdcage, more

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

HI Phil:

I've always looked at pitch raising as kinda' like cutting off a dog's
tail inch at a time so it wont hurt so much.

Actually, there is no reason to not raise the pitch all the way to 440
on the first pass. If the structure is not strong enough to stand it, it
will collapse by the time you get there anyway. Why not get the anxiety
overwith in a hurry. After the first pull up, the pitch will drop back
about 25% of the amount you pulled it up. If you use the full temperament
strip method, it will drop about 33% because, but the time you come back
to tune out the unisons, the middle strings will have settled about 10%.

After the first pull up, the second pull can be overpulled by 25% of the
amount it fell after the first pull up.  For extreme cases like the one
you mentioned, it will take a 3rd tuning.  All of this can be done in
one trip. Most of the settling happens almost immediately. I have done
this procedure many times and come back a year later to find the piano
right on pitch.

Jim Coleman, Sr.