<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <title>Message</title> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> I was afraid of that. ;-)  No, just pressing it gently is all it takes. When you can see the string deflect, that’s more than a hard test blow will move it. And when I say I tried a hard test blow to confirm this was working, I mean it was 10 in rapid succession as hard as I could do it. Much harder than I do normally, and there was no pitch change. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Somebody from Steinway did mention rubbing a treble string with a grooved brass rod, but that was more for false beats – if I remember correctly…<g><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Leslie Bartlett Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:53 PM To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' Subject: RE: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> No, it's much worse when you get old......................  So are you "rubbing the string"?  I did that on a 6'4 Petrof which is normally quite stable, and had all kinds of stability problems. Maybe I got carried away........<o:p></o:p> les <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">bartlett</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">houston</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of John M. Formsma Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:42 PM To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' Subject: RE: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Marshall</st1:City></st1:place>,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Yes, so to speak. Gentle pressure, not a jab. You just want to see if the string moves (i.e., pitch changes), which is the purpose of a hard blow. However, the shank can deflect more than a test blow will; hence the effectiveness. Not that you need to be moving the string very far, but it’s more effective than smacking the heck out of the string without the damaging and/or painful effects of a hard blow. In other words, you’ll get more deflection with the shank than a hard blow.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Funny on me. After I posted this, I started thinking, hmmm…seems like this has come up on the list before. So I did a search, and found that yours truly mentioned this back in November 1999. Aaggh! How embarrasking! I remember the class now…my first convention, Steinway all-day, John Patton session. I’m only 35, so I can’t claim this as a senior moment. Is this what it’s like when you get old???  ;-)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of pianotune05 Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:19 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Hi John,<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> What do you mean by deflect the string?  What do you actually do to the string. I'm trying to visualize this.  Are we poking the string with a hammer shank?  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Marshall</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> ----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From: <a href="mailto:john@formsmapiano.com" title="john@formsmapiano.com">John M. Formsma</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title="pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 8:25 PM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject: RE: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> Geoff,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I just learned a new thing to allow one to tune a piano at pianissimo levels. *(Courtesy of Leonard Gustafson, RPT, of the Memphis PTG chapter, who picked it up from a Steinway tech doing a technical at one of our chapter meetings.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Anyway, you use a vertical hammer shank (or something similar) to slightly deflect the string after it’s tuned. The idea is that a hard test blow will show any string movement (from deflection by the hammer). A deflection by a hammer shank will also do this, but at a greater level than the severest test blow ever could. I used this yesterday on the four pianos I tuned (2 verts & 2 grands), and it worked very well, although it’s slow at first b/c it’s a new skill. I gave one string ten whacks as hard as I could, and nothing moved in the slightest. I also did a few hard blows in various sections to ensure that it works everywhere. I’m very glad to know of this as my playing/test blow elbow has been sore lately.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The only downside I can see is that it might take a bit longer at first. (Leonard tunes in 45min to 1 hour, so it hasn’t slowed him down.) The positives are that we won’t have hearing loss from hard test blows, and body damage is also greatly reduced. I’ll gladly trade test blows for a few more years of hearing and less pain.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Geoff Sykes Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 2:00 AM To: Pianotech@Ptg. Org Subject: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> With the "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Part 2" article in the Q&A section of The Journal, I'd like to hear from some fellow tech's who have tried the Zem earplugs, by Sensgard. They're ugly, but the technology is such a different approach than just a simple "plug" that perhaps they could be very useful. I have been using 32db foam Hearos, but I find that while the foam is comfortable I get a lot of attenuation variation from one set to the next, and they're not that flat in response. I also have a pair of Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs, (identical to the Hearos High Fidelity Ear Filters), which work great. My only complaints are that they're not that long term comfortable and that since the frequency response is much flatter, the attenuation, (rated at 20db), is perhaps a little too much. Zem claims 32db reduction. <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> -- Geoff Sykes<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> -- Assoc. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> <o:p> </o:p> -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.8.3/358 - Release Date: 06/07/2006<o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html> -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.8.3/358 - Release Date: 06/07/2006