In a message dated 10/29/00 8:25:14 AM Central Standard Time, tomtuner@mediaone.net (Tom Driscoll) writes: << Any guesses on how far south this thing goes when the heat comes on? Tom Driscoll. P.S. I'm putting a note on the humidifier and will make a proposal to the board for a climate control system. >> Tom, If you really lowered the piano all the way to 440 during this extreme condition, you can pretty much expect it to go just about as flat as it was sharp once the heating season has begun. I don't know which state you are in but if you assume that even with that humidifier running, the humidity will fall to about 1/2 of what is was when you tuned it, 35%. If they stop the humidifier, easily 20%. Of course, the low tenor will be the most volatile. Your idea of the climate control system is recommended but in a public place, you will have difficulty keeping it plugged in and watered. Unless the piano is always kept near a wall with an electrical outlet, you will need to provide for an adequate cord and possibly a runner. Don't just dangle that light duty cord out of the piano and plug an extension cord into it. Get a heavy duty cord, possibly bright orange if it is appropriate (or black to be less conspicuous), and make the connection up inside the piano, anchored with at least a few clips, not just one. You may have to do a lot of tuning if the piano is to be used frequently for serious work. The best thing to do would be to get the climate control system installed, 6 piece system with 50 and 25 dehumidifiers and smart humidifier bar and let the piano acclimate as long as possible until the next tuning is required. I would also suggest a string cover, the cloth kind that you get from Schaff. I usually just cut out a piece from the 2 yards of cloth I buy. Some people put stays in them or make fancy ones but just the cloth will work for the Steinway. Not only does it keep dirt and foreign objects out of the piano but it is a great enhancement to the climate control system. The piano will probably be unstable for a while so just accept that as a problem you had no contribution to but for which you do have some solutions. The customers should understand that it will be a *process*. Once you feel that the climate situation has stabilized, it would be a good idea to tighten plate bolts and lightly tap the strings on their bridges. This will, of course, knock it out of tune again but at least you will be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After that is all settled, assess the need for voicing. This would be a good time for hammer filing and string mating. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin
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