[pianotech] tuned my first "bird_cage" piano

[Tom Gorley]

I don't get why you guys rule out a strip mute.  I consider it very easy to tip the action back and stripmute the entire piano. Push it down below the hammer line where necessary. Then tip the action again and remove the strip from every other note to pull in the unisons.


>    Tom Gorley
> Registered Piano Technician     
>       





On Jan 7, 2012, at 11:09 AM, Alan Forsyth wrote:

> Strip mute..... whazzat! What's all this obsession with strip muting. You guys haven't lived yet. Just use four Papps wedges. I have never used a rubber wedge for tuning uprights. Sometimes you can't get the action back in if you remove it on some of those old German overdampers especially the overstrung ones. Just start tuning instead of faffing and frittering around with strips. You people must have a bit more confidence in your unison tuning and get rid of those crutches.
>  
> AF
>  
> PS You will find invariably that those old overdampers are the most rewarding tunings. Those old pianos come to life and SING. If you've tuned it properly, you won't know it's an overdamper. Also the damper pedal feels much more positive (like a grand) than the normal setup. Your foot is working against gravity instead of all those squishy mushy springs.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: tnrwim at aol.com
> To: joegarrett at earthlink.net ; pianotech at ptg.org
> Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 8:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuned my first "bird_cage" piano
> 
> Joe & Bob
>  
> Yes, definitely, a strip mute is the best way to tune a bird cage, (I'm sorry, overdamper). But Duaine didn't have one, and even said he was sorry that he didn't. 
> So, Bob and Joe. How would you tune this piano without a strip mute?
>  
> Wim
>  
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joseph Garrett <joegarrett at earthlink.net>
> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Fri, Jan 6, 2012 10:25 pm
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuned my first "bird_cage" piano
> 
>   You chose to allow joegarrett at earthlink.net even though this message failed authentication 
> Click to disallow 
> Wim and Duaine said: "Duaine
>  
> Why did you take out the dampers? I is difficult, but the easiest way,
> using a SAT and without a strip mute, is to put a rubber mute through the
> action to dampen one of the strings for each note. 
>  
> Wim
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Duaine Hechler <dahechler at att.net>
> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Fri, Jan 6, 2012 8:22 pm
> Subject: [pianotech] Tuned my first "bird-cage" piano
>  
>  
> Tuned my first "bird-cage" piano - a Chappell & Co.
> At first, I thought I would try it without taking out the dampers. Quickly
> found 
> hat the dampers had to go. THAT was 
> uite a challenge tuning with the whole piano zinging. Quickly figured out
> that 
> he quieter I played each note the less 
> ing you would get. Dang I wish I had a strip mute."
>  
> Duaine and Wim,
> Yikes! Both of you are Wrong! I've been servicing Overdamper, (not
> bird-cage), pianos for most of my career. I learned by trial and error and
> talking to a few British Techs. The proper way to approach these pianos is:
> 1. Take the action out. 2. Strip mute the entire piano, under the damper
> line. 3. Get a Papps Stick Mute!!! I can't stress this one enough! 4. Set
> the temperament Tune down to A0 pull mutestrip out up to A3 & tune unisons
> up to A3. 5. Check temperament & Tune up to top. 6. pull mute strip out of
> every other one. Tune down to A3. 6. Pull the rest of the strips out. Tune
> down to A3. (BTW, yes you have to pull the action out several times, while
> doing this. It's easy to do and quityourwhining.<G)
> If the piano was fairly close to pitch before you started,...you're done.
> If it was a pitch raise...Do it all over again!<G> A hint: These pianos
> really come into their own if you use a Victorian Temperament. AND,...take
> your time. Schedule extra time so's ya can. I charge more for tuning these,
> for good reason...it takes more time. Of course if the piano is not
> structurally up to snuff, like any other one, it could be " not tuneable".
> Keep in mind that most of these on "this side of the pond" are of a lesser
> being because the Brits sent us, (via Antique Dealers), all their crappy
> ones.<G> That's it in a large nut shell.
> Joe
> 
> 
> Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
> Captain of the Tool Police
> Squares R I
> 
> 

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