sharp tuning

[David Renaud]

Hello
 
    It is my opinion that this is seriously overdoing
it.
    Below is a little overview of me dealing with new
string,    
    and a not so funny story......................
 
    I increasingly put care into levelling and
straightening
string to termination points; it makes clear tonal
improvement.
I want string to develop as it will really be in the
piano.
    I would hypothesis that 200 cents sharp  could
negatively impact 
how  strings  settle by developing a wrap in the
string 
that will be lowered to become part of the speaking
length of the string.
 
   I just put a new set of string on a Yamaha C7, and
here are my habits...
 
1) The day the string went on I chip it by doing all
the a's, e.s,b,s going around
the circle of 5ths and pulling each note to machine
tone set 20 cents sharp.
This takes 1 hour;  feels slow and awkward for me, as
I don't follow this pattern
often.....and it is so "interesting"to hear, try not
to listen.............
 
2) I then go through chromatically with the machine
set 20 cents sharp.....30 min.
    Still a little awkward; notes I started with
dropped  so much more then the
    Notes I finished with on the first pass.
 
3) A 3rd pass in pitch raise mode, machine, chromatic,
set 8 cents sharp A442...20 min
 
2 hours from scratch and it is at pitch.
 
4) The next day returned and it was at about 8-10
cents flat, pitch raise mode to A442
    Seat string, pitch raise,tune, all machine at this
point. about 2 hours total.
 
5) Day 3 it had dropped about 4 cents, Now at A441.The
church had booked a concert that evening
    for a touring artist crossing Canada and
Europe.....Secretary messed up...WOW..The music
minister
is freaking out, because he understood full well and
had rented a keyboard for the month.
After much begging and grovelling on the part of the
secretary and person the booked the concert
and sold tickets I said I would try......
    I left it at A441, where it was and tuned it
twice, 30 min machine pass,  followed by a one 
hour aural tuning. I am told the concert went great. 3
day old string.
 
6) One week later I was very please to find the piano
at A440, down 4 cents.
    I left it there and tuned it.
 
7) 2 weeks later the piano was moved to a different
location for a big concert,
    It was 2 cents flat before the move, and tuned
twice on location, held fine.     
 
2 months in I expect to see it once a month, for the
next 4-5 months.
 
Usually I price in the first day pitch raise as 2
hours labour, and 
2 more 30 min raise at my hourly rate, then 4 regular
tunings booked
a day later, a week later, one month later, then one
to two months later.
A final string seating pass only after fully at pitch.
All this is priced into
the stringing job.  Stringing is $1600 for me.  $150
is 3hours of pitch
raise labor, $400 is four follow up tunings. $550
material, $500 to
take string off, measure (2hr) and put new on
(7hours). add an
hour to check level, coil, do braid, etc.....hmmm time
to raise price.
Based on $50 per hour, being efficient, and including
tunings.
Been a while since thinking this through, I have added
more work,
value, tuning, seating into the stringing job with
experiece but not more cost.
 
I can think of an old Hazelton (1888) grand I just
restrung with a new block,
and it stretched more. Still, 2 hours to pitch, about
20 cents down the next
day, then 5-6 cents down the second day, then once a
month,
12,8,4,2,0 cents down in the following months, yes I
went 5 months
in a row. It took one more tuning then I thought it
would to
 be at 0.
Now leaving a 3 month gap twice, then 6 month gaps.
 
Why 200 cents...........
I do not know so, but I would be afraid of damage, and

of having put stuff into the speaking length of the
string to 
deal with later on. Just a suspicion, not known to be
true.
 
Very interested in others habits, procedures, timing
when 
negotiating with a brand new set of string.
 
                                                   
Cheers
                                                    
Dave Renaud
 
PS> That last min call for a concert with the string
on 
       3 days made for a special stress level for 24
hours.
       I did charge extra for that........not part of
the stringing job.
 
 



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