<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:U1><HEAD><TITLE>HTML Message</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3059" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
<DIV>Dean:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I've only experienced this once, but in fortepianos, iron wire cannot be stretched fully because of its brittleness, and takes at times up to a full year or more to stabilize even when stretched properly after installation. The timbre changes as well during that period of time. Modern steel wire can and should be stabilized by a multitude of stepped down pitches from over pitch. I generally give newly strung pianos at least 5 tunings (after several chips), and I start the overall pitch at 445, then 444, and so on. I also give my clients three free tunings within the first 6 months (or more but on a paid basis, if necessary), since that is still part of the restoration period.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PR-J</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>"If you want to know the truth, stop having opinions" (Chinese fortune cookie)</STRONG></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 02/21/07 23:26:04 Central Standard Time, deanmay@pianorebuilders.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">
<DIV>
<STYLE type=text/css>
.aolmailheader {font-size:8pt; color:black; font-family:Arial}
a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal}
</STYLE>
<META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In short, my theory on the cause of major pitch drops is that it mostly happens in pianos that have never had the initial tunings required to get the stretch taken out of the new wire. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>