<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> I can't believe you've not tuned a birdcage before!  What you need is not a strip mute but a Papps mute. No good at all trying to tune without dampers. Papps mute easily fits between the damper wires, and is located by dragging the tip across the strings, plectrum-like. It's fast, and easy. Best regards, David. <blockquote type="cite"> Tuned my first "bird-cage" piano - a Chappell & Co. At first, I thought I would try it without taking out the dampers. Quickly found that the dampers had to go. THAT was quite a challenge tuning with the whole piano zinging. Quickly figured out that the quieter I played each note the less zing you would get. Dang I wish I had a strip mute. </blockquote> </body> </html>