Cantering the Panel ?

[Mike and Jane Spalding]

Ric,

So, to summarize, you tuned from C3 up to C5, then from C8 down to C5, then (you didn't mention this, but let's assume) A0 up to C3?  Then, I presume, you did at least one more pass for fine tuning?  What did you find in the fine tune pass?  any areas significantly high or low?  The reason I ask is, I have noticed on several big pitch raises (75 to 125 cent) this winter, that when I pitch raise from A0 to C88 unisons as I go, the killer octave F5-F6 ends up way flat. like 5 to  10 cents.  Could be the nature of the specific pianos or their neglect, I suppose.  Anyway, I might try your method, assuming it doesn't leave some OTHER area of the instrument flat at the end of the pitch-raise pass.  Did the old timer recommend this order for fine tuning also, or just for pitch raising?

thanks,

Mike Spalding RPT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: PTG <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 5:15 AM
Subject: Cantering the Panel ?


> Hi folks
> 
> A couple weeks back an old timer told me that it was a good
> idea to tune up from the tenor to the low treble... say
> around C5, and then tune downwards from C8 for the first
> pass. His reasoning was that as you tune upwards you are
> pressing down somewhat on exactly where you just adjusted
> tension, and this forces the immediate area adjacent and
> towards the side with most crown upwards a tad. So tuning up
> to C5 and then down from C8 was to put this matter to good
> work as it were... tending to push this killer range of the
> soundboard upwards. Nice theory I thought, but I mean
> reaaalllly...
> 
> So anyways.. I decide to try it out and see if I can notice
> anything at all and low and behold.... I notice a rise in
> pitch in exactly this area. First  couple pianos it just
> struck me as things were moving around a bit unusually, then
> on the 3rd instrument I decided to run a quick pitch check
> in the middle high treble before starting the tuning, and
> then again before starting tuning that area... sure enough
> the whole section had raised in pitch. This instrument was a
> pitch raise to begin with of roughly 50 cents. (Bass around
> 30 cents, lowest tenor around 70 cents, tenor 40-50 cents,
> mid treble about 30 cents below the treble / tenor break, 50
> above tapering off to around 70 in the highest treble) I saw
> a definant rise of 3-4 cents in the range C5 to F6 (which
> was what I looked at in my before and after testing).
> 
> Now I dont know exactly what to make of this, but I thought
> I would throw it out there for any commentary or
> explanations anyone might have.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> RicB
> 
> 
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> UiB, Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
> 
>