CyberHammer Recommendation - was RE: Tuning Hammers

[Dean May]

Shoulder/neck pain is a plague of us tuners. Normally whenever you have sore
muscles the problem is overdevelopment of one muscle of a group/pair. 

Since we hold our arm upright for an hour at a time and lift heavy pianos,
it tends to overdevelop the muscles on top of our shoulder.

I have found that doing pull down exercises on a weight machine makes sore
shoulders and neck muscles disappear. Try it, you'll be amazed.

Similarly sore backs can often be greatly helped by doing exercises that
isolate your abdominals. Strengthen your abs and the back will get better. 

Dean

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of John M. Formsma
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 7:36 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: CyberHammer Recommendation - was RE: Tuning Hammers

Terry's post is a good segue to my recommendation of the CyberHammer. I've
had mine for a bit over a month, and it has really been a great help. No
more sore upper shoulder and neck.

Last week I tuned 10 verticals, which would normally have sent my
shoulder/neck into pain-land, but the CyberHammer actually made it
enjoyable.

The impact action takes some getting used to, so I would be prepared for
that. It might even take more than a month. I had used a Mehaffey several
years ago, so I was already somewhat familiar with impact levers, though I
never was able to do a fine tuning with it.

Now I'm tuning about as fast as normal with the CyberHammer, so I'm over the
steepest part of the learning curve. I don't consider myself an expert -
just not in 1st grade anymore. :-) I do think that I will become faster with
more use.

It's a huge help with pitch raises. I did one piano that was over 100 cents
flat, and two pitch raise passes and a fine tuning took around 1 hour, 15
minutes. This was after several pianos that took that just for one pass,
though.

I'd say if a person doesn't do several verticals a week, it might be best to
keep using a traditional lever. It's something you wouldn't pick up in 1 or
2 tunings.

If anyone has any questions, I'd be glad to tell you what I know, but it
ain't much.

John Formsma

>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
>Behalf Of Farrell
>Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 3:27 PM
>To: Pianotech List
>Subject: Re: Tuning Hammers
>
>I see a couple of good inputs so far.
>
>And, of course, I can guarantee you that the Keith Bowman Renner tuning
>lever that I have is the "best" one available!
>
>Although, I will likely be purchasing a Cyberhammer impact lever in the
>near
>future.  :-)
>
>Seriously though, this is like asking what shoes are best for walking. The
>answer is that there are many very fine shoes available, but you have to
>try
>them to see which suits you best.
>
>Try all the tuning levers. Try 'em and see how they feel. Everyone has a
>slightly different technique and no one lever is going to be best for all.
>What I find to be the cat's tushy, may give you physical pain.
>
>And by far the best place to try out a wide variety of tuning levers is in
>the exhibit hall of one of the larger PTG conventions.
>
>Terry Farrell