<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dale, <DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>You're talking about what you use to put the strip between the strings here, right? The angled aluminum piece I'm describing is used to cover and protect the dampers, so that I can then push the already inserted strip down underneath the dampers with the straightedge (or whatever - long enough that it pushes the strip all down at once in the damper area, then pushing the rest of it down higher up).</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I've tried the Papp mute and found it less convenient. I like having a temperament strip firmly muting the strings, and find I can concentrate more on tuning and less on moving a mute around - especially since in that area where there's so little room above the dampers to operate in. Different strokes for different folks...</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Allen<BR><DIV><DIV>On 26 Feb 2007, at 14:45, <A href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com">Erwinspiano@aol.com</A> wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> <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. </FONT></DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"> </FONT><BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"> <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>.</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>