[pianotech] Respect

[Duaine Hechler]

Chuck,

Thank you - you hit the nail on the head - respect (and I add - acceptance)

Duaine

On 01/29/2011 07:22 AM, Chuck Behm wrote:
> >The unadorned ETD tuning is not going to achieve quality - Susan Kline<
>
> Susan - I have utmost respect for your point of view and your ability
> to tactfully present your ideas, but I must take exception to this
> statement.
>
> I believe that the level of tuning attainable using a high quality ETD
> is remarkable. Granted you need to master hammer technique, but to
> flatly say that a quality tuning is not possible without understanding
> aural tuning flies in the face of reality.
>
> The Veritune machine that I use performs calculations for each piano
> that I tune that are far above what I could ever achieve aurally. To
> begin with, it's measuring the vibration rate of each and every one of
> the first eight partials of each string up to 100th of a cent. It then
> matches those partials against the partials of the others strings and
> uses logarithms to find the "sweet spot" where each string should be set.
>
> To top that off, the machine records all of this date, so that the
> next time the piano is tuned, it has the information at its
> fingertips, so to speak.
>
> Could I do all those calculations and keep track of it all in my head?
> I would be as likely to be able to recite pi out to 1000 places
> backwards from memory! It just isn't going to happen!
>
> I set the temperament of the piano using my Veritune machine, and tune
> the unisons by ear to the temperament string. Being able to tune a
> piano completely by ear, while a great talent to have, is not a
> prerequisite to being able to do a great job of tuning.
>
> Please don't misunderstand me on this, Susan. An aural tuning done
> well is a beautiful thing - the tuner is an artist and the piano is
> her canvas. What you do is an art form of the highest level.
>
> But give those of us who use an ETD to tune the benefit of your
> respect. I believe, after all, that simple respect is all that Duaine
> is looking for here.   Chuck
>
> P.S. Saying all of that, I would also say that if one is going to use
> an ETD to tune, it needs to be top-of-the-line equipment. Going to
> Radio Shack and buying a $20 guitar tuner isn't going to cut it.


-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
Reed Organ Society Member
Florissant, MO 63034
(314) 838-5587
dahechler at att.net
www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
--
Home & Business user of Linux - 11 years