Tuesday evening's tuning

[PAT A RALPH]

Well List,

I guess I want to try to get the world in tune.  The only times I do not
bring a piano to standard pitch is when 1.) the pinblock and the back look
like they are coming apart, 2.) there is a wood upper bass bridge that looks
like is has slipped,  3.) the lower bridges are spliting out and more
tension could make things worse OR 4.) there is obvious evidence that
strings have broken before when a tuner tried to bring it up.

If the piano has sentimental value or real value I recommend repairs (except
restringing) and then bring the piano to pitch (sorry Wim)

Ken Gerler,
----- Original Message -----
From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 1999 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: Tuesday evening's tuning


> In a message dated 12/22/99 5:11:57 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
> pianoserv440@juno.com writes:
>
> << As "luck" would have it, I had to tune a customer's piano at 7:00pm
last
>  night.  Pre 1900 Beckwith ( made/sold by Sears ).  Typical of the last
>  piano of a day for a very tired tuner - 4 hammers missing, cracked high
>  treble bridge, and 96c low of A-440.  ( Yeah, I know that standard pitch
>  was 435 when that piano was built. )  The lady told me it belonged to her
>  grandparents whom, she remembers, talked about tuning it - several times,
>  but does not remember it ever being done.  Went over it once to bring it
>  to 50c low, then with her OK went the rest the way to A-440 with no
>  string breakage.  All that except for the last octave where the bridge is
>  split.  Oh, and yes, I will be working on it again next week - in the
>  evening again. :-(
>  John Fortiner
>  Billings, MT.
>   >>
>
>
> I guess if you like that sort of thing, it's OK. I am getting to the point
in
> my career where I no longer make appointments after 5 PM, unless it is a
real
> emergency of one of my regular customers. I have also gotten to the point
> where I don't "do" old uprights any more, if I can avoid them. As far as
> raising pitch. That is a definite NO NO on my part. I tune them where
they're
> at. Less chance of anything breaking.
>
> Willem