stability of pitch raises (not Ron's question. sorry)

[Farrell]

This may be part of the reason a 30 cent pitch raise with my SAT III takes
me 30 to 35 minutes. I make a moderate effort to set each and every pin
(well, almost). I go above pitch and back it down to target. I do it again
if the pitch keeps falling, like in the upper treble where it requires
several first hammer strikes (not whacks!) to get the string segments to
equalize. I do this when I expect the final outcome to be real close to
target pitch (and it will be with a 30 cent pitch raise). If I am raising a
120 cent flat piano, the first of two pitch raises will be without
significant effort to set the pin. The second pass, i.e. the one preceding
the tuning pass, will get the pin setting effort.

I do this because I will often find several strings - and on a small pitch
raise of 10 cents perhaps many strings, right at the target pitch (including
unisons) and I may not touch them at all. Another reason I do this is
because reason would have it that if you work to stabilize the strings
during the pitch raise pass, it will be kinda like a pitch raise & rough
tune combo pass.

Now I know the above is not a popular idea, but it is the way I learned to
do it working closely with my know-nothing instructor - ME! I'm not saying
it is a better way, just the way I do it. This thread has helped me
understand that most tuners do it quite differently. Maybe I'll rethink my
ways.

You sitting down Ron N.? I'm a gonna rock 'yer boat! A 1948 Wurlitzer
spinet. 70 cents flat all the way across the keyboard. Start pitch raising
at A0 with about an 18% offset (to the sharp side) with my SAT III. As you
proceed up the keyboard, the notes just ahead of your progress will be
dropping in pitch. By the time you have raised B2, check the pitch of C3.
Oops, now it is 85 cents flat. This continues up the keyboard. As you raise
the tenor, it will be 95 cents flat and I will be using an offset of about
22%. OK, now I am done with the tenor and am faced with the
strings-are-ready-to-pop dreaded treble. I check the pitch of G5, the first
note in the treble section. 100 cents flat - aarrgg - and I know from
experience that by the time I get to G6, that will be a bit more flat. I'm
sweating. I'm worried that strings will break. That is too large a pitch
raise on an older piano - and I know how much fun treble strings are to
replace on a spinet. And I know from experience that the treble is where the
strings usually break, if they are going to break.

Hold the arms of your chair firmly now Ron. Now what do I do? An older
piano. A bit of corrosion on strings. Lousy thing hasn't been tuned in 28
years. Is this my problem? Nadda. No worries mate! This is my opportunity!
Raise the pitch of the treble just up to standard pitch with no offset on
the first pitch raising treble pass. Results will have the treble come out
about 25 or 30 cents flat. Now do a second pitch raise pass of the treble
using a 33% offset. Pitch will come out right on target & very low
likelihood of string breakage - even on an old upright. Did this take more
time? Yes. Why? Because I did more work. Why? Because her piano needed it to
safety accomplish our mutual goals. Should I charge her for rendering my
professional skills? You bet! How much? My standard fee for one full pitch
raise is $40. The Wurly got 1-1/2 pitch raises, so I charged her $60 in
pitch raising fees plus my tuning fee for the final tuning pass.

Is that enough fodder to start a whole new thread with?  ;-)

(All in good fun from another point of view!)

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kent Swafford" <kswafford@earthlink.net>
To: "pianotech list" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2001 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: stability of pitch raises (not Ron's question. sorry)


> On 9/2/01 6:33 PM, "Tom Cole" <tcole@cruzio.com> wrote:
>
> > Now I know that it's because I've always done at least some
> > settling of the pin in pitch raise mode. Gaaaa!
>
> Of course other factors can come into play when you don't set the strings.
> For example, on pianos with very tight pins, a twist in the pin could be
> introduced when you pull the string up that would increase the drop when
you
> let go. So -- pulling up the string without settling it is no panacea.
>
> Kent
>
>