<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> John - You would ask me for specifics, wouldn't you! <g> My basic point was that a new string is probably best left in a state where it's farthest out of tune for the shortest possible time, at least in the case of a piano that you don't service often. In my own experience I find that if I leave a new string beating sharp say 2-3 bps and return within a week it is usually at least 2-3 bps flat, if not flatter. And this is after carefully setting coils, seating around bearing points, and otherwise 'pre-stretching' the wire. So I'm thinking that I'd rather have the string 4-6 bps sharp initially, and have it less than 4-6 bps out after a week. I don't mean to suggest 2-3 bps as a target, these numbers are intended only as an example. Customers mostly seem to understand that new wire takes a while to stabilize, or that a too sharp string will actually sound more in tune as the pitch drops over time, and this latter fact can easily be demonstrated to them if necessary by tuning the string sharp and then slowly lowering it to, and then below pitch. I definitely would not leave without explaining what I had done though, and why! - Mark Dierauf John Dorr wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:%3Cweb-12643605@be-4.cluster1.bresnan.net%3E" type="cite"><div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed"> John Dorr wrote: If I need to leave it open, unmuted, I try to tune it a bit sharp.  Not objectionably so, explaining (if they're nearby and interested) that it will move more INTO tune at first before moving more OUT of tune. Respectfully, John Dorr, RPT Helena, MT __Mark responded: Why not leave it objectionably sharp? It's probably better if it howls more at first and then then gradually becomes less objectionable than to have it get nastier and nastier as it goes flat! - Mark Dierauf John now responds: I don't know why I don't leave it objectionably sharp... hmmm, maybe I will try that.  I guess I just hate to leave a tuning with something REALLY objectionable going on there.  I wonder if the customer would UNDERSTAND, really, why I'd leave it objectionably sharp.  Do YOU do that, Mark?  If so, how does that work for you?  I'd be interested in hearing about customers' reactions to that, really. </div> </blockquote> </body> </html>