William, I was really talking just about *initial calibration of Tunelab*. Of course I know about the temperature variables affecting pianos and forks (example in a moment). Why would I personally buy a new fork? Well, good quality modern A forks are sold as being an accurate A440 at 20C, and they are! An example of temperature variables occurred with me last week, when I tuned the local theatre's Steinway B. Because of theatre usage there was a tight "window", and the piano had only just been brought onstage when I arrived. The backstage area is usually freezing, but with the safety curtain up, warm air from the House driften in and was warming up the piano. Then the road crew arrived with equipment to bring in through the double backstage doors. With the doors open, (snow outside), an icy blast was washing over the piano from the bass side, and the warm theatre air still drifting in from the treble side. The piano and I were warmed and frozen on each side respectively. And the cold air made the piano go quite sharp as I tuned. I had to do a second pass to settle things down once the road crew had finished. Best regards, David Boyce. >David, >Why would you be inclined to buy a new one? As has already been discussed in this thread, it has been standard practice for decades (probably in the hundreds of years, now) to "tune" or calibrate your tuning fork for the >temperature at which you plan on using it. Even slight variations in temperature will change the frequency of the fork. Perhaps yours is at 440 at 20C, but I'll guarantee you that every piano you tune is not in a 20C >environment. Your fork will be off in those settings unless you have a practice for equilibrating your fork to 20C prior to setting the A. >-- >William R. Monroe, RPT
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC