[pianotech] (no subject)

[David Nereson]

    I agree.  Usually it's the low tenor that's way sharp or flat.  Here in 
Denver, especially in the schools for some reason, at the end of August the 
low tenor on almost all pianos is 25 cents sharp.
    I float the pitch, i.e., if they insist on tuning the pianos at the end 
of August, I'll leave them sharp, but not by 25 cents.  I'll lower the pitch 
in the low tenor to the level A49 is at, which may only be 10 or 15 cents 
sharp.  But I don't lower it to 440 because I know then I'll have to do a 
pitch raise in November.
    If they can afford to tune the pianos only once a year, I tell them 
they'll have to tolerate out-of-tuneness from August til November or so. 
Then I tune them and they stay pretty well in tune for the rest of the 
school year.  In January thru March, depending on how much the heating 
system has been running, they may be 5 or 10 cents flat.  But it's foolish 
to raise them to 440 because then in the summer they may climb to more than 
25 cents sharp.
    If the teachers want in-tune pianos at 440 for the entire school year, 
then they have to budget for at least two tunings per piano.
    --David Nereson, RPT