Bridle Straps/time/Pitchraising

[Lance Lafargue]

Hi Steve, et al,
Happy New Year to everyone.  I agree with your post and I think that sometimes people fudge a bit and sometimes fudge a lot, making us wonder what we are doing wrong.  The only exception to the examples that you gave (for me) is the pitchraise time.  I will state that I can pitchraise most pianos in as little as 13 minutes (my record is just under 13).  I realize how outrageous that will sound to some, maybe most.  I use an Accutuner and a method pf strip muting taught by Dan Levitan.  James Arledge taught a similar class.  I also use a very light lever, allowing me to move easily and quickly from pin to pin.  In my mind, the objective is to apply A440 tension across the piano quickly, not tune the piano with accurate unisons, etc.  It is important, particularly at the tenor/treble break to be near, but not dead on pitch, requiring an additional 15% overshoot there (if piano is 10 cents flat, after measuring overshoot, add 1.5 cents).  The unisons will be squirrelly, but usually within < 6 cents of 440.  I also don't tune unisons as I go for the last maybe six notes at the top.  I then take about an hour to tune with lots of time spent on perfecting unisons.  I don't enjoy the speed always, so usually relax and do them in around 20 minutes.  

I also sometimes do what I call blind pitchraises.  When I have a piano only maybe 6-8 cents flat and I'm very pressed for time (concert or behind schedule) I will do my normal tuning procedure, but once I am comfortable with the feel of the pins and I am physically in a consistent groove or rhythm, I will simply continue to turn all of the pins an even amount, in a pattern, without listening (except for maybe every octave, one note to verify I am still on track-as you go up, pins may need less movement).  I then go back and do my final round of tuning and the pitchraise is again squirrelly, but close enough not to be pulling unison wire around the hitch pins, screwing up unisons.  I then always go back and check and perfect unisons.  It doesn't save a lot of time, but some, and does take practice.  Neccessity is the mother of invention(?).  It depends on the feel of the block, the amount of friction at pressure points, and how flat the piano is (whether I do this or not).  I know I've probably exposed my backside with all of this, but... fire away ; ).  

Regards,

Lance Lafargue, RPT
LAFARGUE PIANOS, LTD
LPIANOS.com
lafargue at bellsouth.net
4244 Hwy 22 Mandeville, LA 70471
985.72P.IANO
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Blasyak 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:55 AM
  Subject: Bridle Straps/time



  Hey Now,

  I would like to add a few comments on the recent thread about bridle straps.

  First Matthew bravely admits it took him 6 hours for his first bridle strap replacement job. He confesses to some frustration and asks for advice. I remember the first time I tried the same procedure on and old upright. I can't remember how long it took me but I'm quite sure it took me more than 1.5 hours. Much of the advice was very informative and included both method and type of bridle straps that work the best. That's what I like the best about the list and the PTG in general. The idea that we all help each other.

  Now for my pet peeve...time. Tom Sivak describes his methods and claims to have finished the procedure in 45 minutes.

  Question? Does this include the removal of the old straps? 

  I did a little math, 88 notes divided by 45 minutes and came up with 30 seconds per note. Wow that's moving right along. If first you remove the old straps, then clean up a bit, (those old straps crumble and fall all over the action).  You then replace the straps with cork type you may or may not use a spot of glue. Don't forget you must determine the right size of cork to use. Then after inserting all 88 corks you must go back and slide the strap onto the bridle wire. By the way I will add my little bit of advise. I use a drop of protek on the wire and they slide on much easier. Usually you are working with and old upright and the tends to be corrosion on the wire.

  I'm sorry Tom I'm not trying to pick on you personalty so I ask in reality is this the case? Are you stating that you can complete the job from start to finish in 45 minutes? 

  This is just the latest thread among the many that I sometimes read with amazement. Recent threads that include a tuning and cleaning in 1.25 hours, removing keys cleaning/ lubrication of key pins as part of a regular service visit. Then there was the one about the damper lever leads coming loose on a Steinway. I don't know about anyone else but by the time I remove the fall board, action, remove one damper under lever swedge  the lead and put it back in that's thirty minutes in my book.  Someone on the list once claimed to do both the keys and dampers in less than an hour. My favorite is the 20 minute pitch raise. If you do the math depending on the way the piano is scaled it comes out to less than 5 seconds per tuning pin. My fastest pitch raise is about 25 minutes and my usual time is about 30 minutes. But I will admit I have a different philosophy than some when it comes to pitch raises. With the help of my handy cyber tuner in most cases I have ! confidence that the piano will be at or very close to pitch when I'm done.

  These are the confessions and observations of an old (in years but not experience) wanna be piano tech. I don't see so good and I don't move that fast so my hats off to the rest of ya.

  Steve
  Pura Vida    


  Steve Blasyak
  atuneforyou at earthlink.net
  EarthLink Revolves Around You.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070103/4d22f7f9/attachment.html