<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)"> <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 lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City>,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You’re trying to make this harder than it needs to be. ;-)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Just use a plain hammer shank like you get from a supplier (or an old one would work). Gently press on the string somewhere in the speaking length. That’s all there is to it. Again, the idea is to get deflection like you would from a hard blow, only you’re doing it with the shank and not with a hard blow.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Obviously, common sense would dictate that you wouldn’t do this right next to the agraffe or bridge pins. You want to do it where you get some movement fairly easily.<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@comcast.net Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 11:19 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> I don't know. I'm not old yet. ;) I'm still a teen ager, age 40. going on 41.:) LOL <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Do you place the shank just above and below the bridge pin as one does to level the string?  Does the hammer shank need to have a point or can I take an old hammer from an action and take the top off and use the flat smooth end of the shank?  Thanks again.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #1010FF 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> -------------- Original message -------------- From: "John M. Formsma" <<st1:PersonName w:st="on">john@formsmapiano.com</st1:PersonName>> <o:p></o:p> <u1:City u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City></u1:place></u1:City>,<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: <u1:PersonName u2:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</u1:PersonName></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> <u1:City u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City></u1:place></u1:City><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 tha t 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. <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</u1:City></u1:place></st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>