<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I think it was the last time I tuned a square, after having swore off them, due to always having a sore back after the tunings.<div>The owner said he would help, so I went behind after removing the lid, I tuned and he played the notes, numerous hits per note.</div><div>At least my back wasn't sore.</div><div>John Ross</div><div>Windsor, Nova Scotia.</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 2013-01-15, at 5:41 PM, "Joseph Garrett" <<a href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Paul said:<br>"A university that I tune for has received the gift of a restored<br>Schomacker square grand, circa 1870. Perhaps it was one of those things<br>they were compelled to accept, so as not to potentially offend a wealthy<br>donor -- a white elephant, if you will. <br><br>I looked it over for a few minutes today. <br>It is a truly beautiful piece of furniture. I don't know how long ago the<br>restoration was done; the strings and tuning pins look brand new, but it<br>sounds as if it has never been tuned since. Not one to back down from a<br>challenge, I'm going to attempt to tune this baby in the next few days. I<br>tried my regular tuning lever (with an extra long head) for size and it<br>looks like it should work fine. <br><br>I have never attempted to tune a square before. I assume this piano should<br>not be tuned to A440, correct? Maybe 435? Anybody have any other advice?<br><br>Thanks,"<br>Paul,<br>Use the shortest head/tip that will "just" clear the damper levers! Do not<br>extend the tuning hammer. You first need to know the preparatory things<br>needed to do before putting tuning hammer to pin.<G> 1. Remove the music<br>desk "flapper". (take the right music desk mount off and slide the<br>"flapper" to the right, to remove.) 2.Remove the lid and get it out of the<br>way. If the "rebuilder" put anything other than removable hinge pins in,<br>they need to be altered so that the hinge pins are removeable just like a<br>standard grand.  3. Take the damper upstop rail off. Be careful about<br>dropping the nuts down into the action!DAMHIK 4. Make sure the "rebuilder"<br>labeled ALL of the tuning pins, else you spend an inordinate amount of time<br>trying to figure out which tuning pin you are one. I suggest putting a<br>white front rail punching on A4 and green ones on the other A's. If the<br>tuning pins are not labeled, you should do it with a Narrow Point Sharpie.<br>Do it neatly or have someone who does caligraphy do it for you. 5. Check to<br>make sure that all hammers are hitting the appropriate notes and are not<br>hanging up on neighbors. (one of the biggest mistakes of "rebuilders" is<br>they don't do an adequate job of thinning the hammers for proper clearance<br>and proper spacing.) 6. Pull the action, if necessary to get the spacing<br>right. The best thing would be to have an action truck to slide the action<br>on to. Always use the Wire Handle in the center of the front key frame<br>rail. Do not grab cheek blocks to remove, until all of the hammers are<br>clear of the stretcher! Otherwise, you WILL break a hammer in the action<br>removal process! 7. Strip the piano, using Hammer Spring Rail Cloth, Schaff<br>#311R/G.(I like to use a strip about 6' long.  Do not strip with standard<br>muting strips, it's too thick! Start stripping between the bottom-most<br>wound Bi-chords at the point where the last bi-chords on the long bridge<br>intersects. Push the strip down through that set of unisons. Use a 6"<br>machinist's ruler or such to do the pushing.<G> In this way you are muting<br>two sets of bi-chords with one "push".<G> 7. You are now ready to tune. I<br>suggest using an ETD to save your sanity. <G> What you do not know is<br>wether the "rebuilder" rescaled the piano for 440, unless you know who the<br>"rebuilder" was, in which case ASK! If that is not possible, then you will<br>have to ASSUME that the original strings were duplicated. In that case, I<br>would use 435 cps as a tuning standard, in relation to the age of the<br>piano. If it needs to be pitch raised, (and I suspect it does.<G>), use the<br>pitch raise program in your ETD or get my program from the December 1999<br>issue of the PTJ.<br>Well, that's the short version of how to do the piano. BTW, if you are not<br>5'6" tall you are going to have a great deal of back problems. Or, if you<br>are over 6'3", the same will apply. I suggest leaning against the case, as<br>you tune, to support your body more. Take numerous breaks!!! Do lots of<br>stretching exercises to keep yourself flexible and that should help the<br>back fatigue thing. Good stomach muscles help to support your back, btw.<G><br>If you need additional assistance, please feel free to call or write.<br>Calling is easier, allbeit more expensive<G>but we can cover more<br>information w/o me getting hand cramps!<br>Good luck,<br>Joe<br><br><br>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<br>Captain of the Tool Police<br>Squares R I<br><br></blockquote></div><br><div> </div> <br></div></body></html>