<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 1:13 PM, Ron Nossaman <<a href="mailto:rnossaman@cox.net">rnossaman@cox.net</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> <div class="Ih2E3d"><br> > not a question a comment...you're pounding too hard.<br> ><br> > David Ilvedson, RPT<br> <br> </div>I don't think so. Using my cheapo Radio Shack meter set in the<br> 90db range, I produce similar sound levels, and while I make a<br> tremendous racket tuning, I'm not a pounder. I don't hit them<br> hard so much as really often.<br> <font color="#888888"><br> Ron<br> </font></blockquote></div><br>I did my "test" after buying a dB meter on clearance at Wal-Mart for $10.  Couldn't pass it up.  I was getting about 79-83 dB for normal tuning, and around 100-108 dB for the hardest blow I ever use.  This was with the meter sitting on the struts.<div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I might not have as much experience as some of you who have been teching longer.  So I reserve the right to change my mind.  At present, I have also found that the oftener blows work better than the harder blows.  And I think the more experience we have, the better we can predict where the pin/string will be stable.  Thus, we are able to have more stable tunings with less volume as we get better at feeling the pin/string interaction.</div> <div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Maybe it's just the way my body is put together, but if I pound hard, it hurts.  And I determined some time ago that it was better to save my arms and ears by having a good tuning technique.  I always use earplugs except for the final unison pass.</div> <div><br>-- <br>JF</div>