Bluthner Tuning

[Susan Kline]

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At 01:05 PM 7/30/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>I just booked a first-time tuning for a Bluthner grand (first time for me=
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>to tune it). It is said to be about 55 years old. Is this piano likely to=
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>have the 4th string aliquot system up in the high treble? If so, is there=
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>any special tuning techniques for it? I've never tuned one of these. Just=
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>pluck it and tune it beatless with the other three strings of each note?
>
>Terry Farrell

Hi, Terry.

Not sure how much of the piano would have the fourth string, but probably a=
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lot of the treble. I've only tuned newer ones, which don't start the fourth=
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string till the high treble. After a pretty short time, tuning the fourth=20
string feels natural enough.

It takes two wedges. Keep the fourth string muted, and tune the other three=
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to as clear a unison as you can, like usual. I found that the three-string=
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unisons on Bl=FCthners are very, very clear, almost colorless-clear. Then,=
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remove the last mute, and you'll probably hear the unison get angry, more=20
in timbre than in beats. I tune the fourth string without plucking it, but=
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barely moving the wire, and try to calm the unison again. It usually will=20
get better, but with a more complex tone than the three main strings alone.=
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Then I pluck the fourth string to be sure it isn't some screwy place, like=
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on a different note. If I can't get the unison to clear after I've added in=
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the fourth string, I'll pluck the fourth string to find out which way to=20
move it, and then tinker a little when it's very close to the other three,=
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tuning for tone quality.

I found that once you get the section settled down, and the unisons tuned=20
for timbre like this, that the fourth string actually seems to add some=20
tuning stability.

Have fun -- it's kind of a neat system, really. I don't think that the=20
fourth string is for volume. I think that the more complex, less=20
crystalline sound sustains better.

Susan Kline=20
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