<html> <body> Patrick, In the Steinway & Sons Technical Services Division Guidelines for Institutional Piano Service you will find the following in Steinway Guidelines G. Green pg. 2 under section heading 2. Piano Services and a) Tuning and Overlook: <x-tab>        </x-tab> "... Concert Instruments should be tuned  to A-441 to more easily address requests for pitch changes. ..." By concert instruments I would assume they mean B's or D's.  A lot of roving orchestras, bands and even occasionally, soloists require this on their contracts.  When asked about this they usually comment on it as a matter of self-defence against pianos that end up under A4=440hz during concert conditions. As Guy Nichols noted, concert conditions usually don't mirror tuning conditions.  One of my venues is now well trained.  The D is on stage where it will be with full concert lighting two hours before I am scheduled to arrive to tune and prep it.  That is the exception.  They have agreed to keep it a 441 and I think the only ones who get cross-eyed are vocalists.  Even then the hall is cooler than it will be when it is packed full of enthusiastic audience.  I haven't bothered to check pitch on the piano during intermissions like Guy did to document pitch-drop in the halls he serviced.  No-one has had any complaints or requests for me on the pianos I service. (With the exception of a D born defective and sold to one venue here with the strings out-of-reach of action adjustments.  The Steinway tech. had broken off some drop screws attempting to raise drop above 1/4" and failed to mention anything to the university.  That warranty saga continues still without any end in sight other than a gift of action shims!) Gave me pause when I first saw it too.  Makes sense to me after consideration. Andrew Anderson At 07:53 AM 2/11/2007, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Um, what piece of literature would that be? Page 57 of the Steinway & Sons Technical Refernce Guide does mention A440, but that wasn't model specific. Yes, I do like references and footnotes ... Patrick Draine On 2/10/07, Andrew and Rebeca Anderson <anrebe@sbcglobal.net> wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Probably why Steinway literature recommends tuning the D to 441. Andrew Anderson</blockquote></blockquote></body> </html>