<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM> Hi</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>   I have used the supply house flange spacer to do this job for years.  It has  a long handle,will fit into a combo handle & the tip is wide and very thin for inserting the mutes.  QUick & cheap at twice the price.</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM>  Dale</EM></STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Once again; I would suggest using a piece of angled aluminum - my piece is about 6-7" long, and an inch wide on either side, at a 90 degree angle; simply lift the dampers with the pedal, slide the aluminum piece in behind and on top of them, and then with a short ruler of some sort  push the strip down all the way underneath the dampers (which are completely protected from damage by the aluminum strip). You can then remove the aluminum and proceed to tune as you normally would. Sheet metal bent at 90 degrees would work also, of course. The aluminum is nice and light, though, and just the right configuration. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV>The dampers then work normally, and you can pull out the strip one note (actually two) at a time as you work your way up, unmuting one string on each of the two unisons (so you need to have tuned the center string up in the next unison before you pull the strip, if you're tuning unisons as you go - otherwise, just tune center strings all the way up, and then begin to pull the strip as you tune outside strings to the center strings on the way up). </DIV> <DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV>I then only have to use the rubber mute (with the magnet attached on a string) on unisons that may slip or need touching up afterwards.</DIV> <DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV>I hope this is helpful.</DIV> <DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV>Allen Wright, RPT</DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at <A title="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/1615326657x4311227241x4298082137/aol?redir=http://www.aol.com" href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/1615326657x4311227241x4298082137/aol?redir=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eaol%2Ecom" target="_blank"><B>AOL.com</B></A>.</BODY></HTML>