I'll second that!  Good hammer technique will save your ears and wrists! Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>"AlliedPianoCraft" <AlliedPianoCraft@hotmail.com> Sent by: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org 03/26/2008 07:46 AM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>"Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>Re: for those on the fence about hearing protection..</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> Ric....This is what I've been shouting here. I just don't understand the necessity of pounding!   I guess it's how you learned in the first place and your natural preference.   Al Guecia     ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Brekne" <<a href=mailto:ricb@pianostemmer.no>ricb@pianostemmer.no</a>> To: <<a href=mailto:pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 4:10 AM Subject: for those on the fence about hearing protection.. >I have to disagree... there simply is no such thing as a piano that > <<requiress>> hard pounding to get into and hold a stable tuning.  There > are too many tuners out there that are capable of extremely stable > tunings without pounding.  There may be tuners who can only tune this > way... and there may be tuners who cant get a stable tuning one way or > the other... but that by no means says anything about pianos... only the > tuners. > > Pounding is simply not necessary.  Pound away if you find it the easiest > way to be sure... but in the end the <<stable tuning>> is in the wrist. > Pounders... at least the good ones... simply set the string by learning > the right combination of where to leave the pin and how much pounding to > bring it into place.  Non pounders... at least teh good ones of these > just set the string where it should be in the first place and no amount > of pounding will do anything positive at all. > > This is a classic different strokes for different folks thingy... there > is no <<one way>> here. > > Cheers > RicB > > >       > >    Well said Les and I think overlooked by many, perhaps including >    myself. I >    tune way too many, poorly by half, regulated pianos and I still, no >    matter >    how poor the instrument is, must satisfy my own standards that the >    piano is >    tuned to the best of my ability. Sometimes that requirs a lot of >    pounding >    that I wouldn't do or would find needless on a better piano. > >