<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html style="font-size: x-small; font-family: MS Sans Serif"> <head> <title>Re: Tuning lever length</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"/> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"/> <style> </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3">"I've been using an eleven-inch-long Keith Bowman/Renner tuning lever (titanium shaft) for all of my ten years of tuning pianos"...</font></div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Which you won, by the way...otherwise you'd probably still be using a student model...;-]<br/><br/>David Ilvedson, RPT<br/>Pacifica, CA 94044<br/><br/> <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-left: #000000 3px solid; padding-top: 5px"> <hr/>Original message<br/>From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> </mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com><br/>To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> </pianotech@ptg.org><br/>Received: 2/23/2008 3:00:45 AM<br/>Subject: Re: Tuning lever length<br/><br/> <div align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3">If you can, please try to better describe the difference between a jerk and a smoothie. Certainly I can envision the extremes. However, while only on rare occasions do I use a completely smooth motion, I don't sit there and hit the lever either (I've seen some folks do that). I rarely see anyone else tune a piano. The best I could describe my tuning lever motion is gentle, controlled nudges.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3"> </font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3">So what would that make me?</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3"> </font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3">I've been using an eleven-inch-long Keith Bowman/Renner tuning lever (titanium shaft) for all of my ten years of tuning pianos. I like the lever quite a bit, but must admit I've never tried one of these other "stiff" levers. Maybe I need to give 'em a try at the next convention. Gee, I'd feel like I was cheating on my old buddy lever......  ;-(   Maybe cosmetic enhancement surgery?</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3"> </font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="3">Terry Farrell</font></div> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left: #000000 2px solid; margin-right: 0px"> <div style="font: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="background: #e4e4e4; font: 10pt arial; font-color: black">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> </blockquote> </div> </div> </body> </html>