In a message dated 8/31/00 5:59:29 AM Central Daylight Time, mitch_ruth@hotmail.com writes: << I am lovin' this list! I have a general question for everyone. I tuned a 1910 Harvard Piano this week. It was sitting at a whole step plus 20 cents flat. The interior has been maintained and the single bass strings have been replaced at some time. No major corrosion at the bearing points. I don't like to leave a piano lower than concert pitch if circumstances allow for a pitch raising. But I have always been hesitant to bring an older piano that far up in one visit. Am I being too cautious? Aside from the particular methods you might use to raise the pitch, what preparations do you make when you do a pitch raising? Do you have any special tricks you use? Thanks... Mitch Ruth >> Mitch: If it appears the strings are rust and corrosion free, this piano will probably survive a pitch raise. But as low as it is, I would not try to bring it up all at once. Bring it up to 100 cents low first. Then another 30 or 40 cents. Etc. You don't have to do this over a period of time. You can do it all on the same day, but do each passing as fast as you can. Don't worry about perfect unisons, or even perfect octaves. All you want to do is bring the tension up and stretch those strings. If at any time a string breaks, you know you have reached your limit. Good luck. Willem
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