<WBR>I consider myself a jerk, but have at time smoothed things over with myself. I started using Charle's 10" lever a year and a half ago, and love it.<br> <br> <div style="CLEAR: both">Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<br> Piano Tuner/Technician<br> Honolulu, HI<br> Author of <br> The Business of Piano Tuning<br> available from Potter Press<br> www.pianotuning.com</div> <br> <br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: Bruce Dornfeld <bdornfeld@earthlink.net><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 6:55 pm<br> Subject: Tuning lever length<br> <br> <div id=AOLMsgPart_2_cdf1842d-c77b-4aed-9686-18d0eae831d8> <div> <div>The discussion of the new CF carbon fiber levers brings to mind a subject that I cannot remember seeing on pianotech.  How long of a tuning lever works best for your basic tuning technique?   A couple of years ago I gave a technical session for our chapter called "If I had The Hammer".  It was a survey of the numerous tuning levers that can be purchased today as well as modifications that can be made.  One observation I made is one that you, with your input to the list, can help us all understand better.  I believe that tuners who use a smooth hammer technique prefer a longer lever and that tuners who use a jerk or impact technique benefit from a shorter lever.</div> <div> </div> <div>I have been using a jerk or impact technique for at least twenty five years now.  I have gone through many tuning levers.  I started with the long extension lever at 11 1/2 inches, but quickly changed to the shorter 10 inch one.  The first Fujan lever I tried, in his early days, felt to me like walking on stilts.  It might have been 15 inches long or longer, but I'm not sure about that.  I currently use a Charles Falk lever that is 8 3/4 inches long and it has worked great for me for several years or more.  But I think that's because I'm a jerk.  I had a Jahn Pear handle hammer for a while.  It was a nice light weight, but at 11 inches overall, it was just too long for me.  I gave it to Robert Guenther, a CTE for our chapter, to try and he bought it from me.  It has been his main lever for at least a couple of years now.  Robert is a smoothie.  That is, he uses a smooth or steady pull technique t! o tune.</div> <div> </div> <div>Most of you know if you are jerks or smoothies.  What length tuning lever works best for your technique?  </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Bruce Dornfeld, RPT  Jerk Tuner</div> <div><A href="mailto:bdornfeld@earthlink.net">bdornfeld@earthlink.net</A></div> <div>North Shore Chapter</div> <div> </div> <div></div> </div> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> More new features than ever. Check out the new <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>!<br/> </div>