<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <DIV>Sorry, my previous post was sent before I finished it. Here is completed:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I had been thinking about dropping a post on this for some time. = Sandy Whetherholt, RPT from our Southwest Florida chapter did a technical = recently on just such a device. I have been using it with great sucess since then. = It is just a brass rod with a little slot in the end that I stick into my = combination handle.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I only use it on grands, because of the more difficult access to = strings on the vertical. When the grand is only a bit flat, perhaps 10 = to 15 cents flat, I massage or push down all plain wire strings. I don't do = the bass - doesn't seem to matter there. It makes more difference in the upper = treble. One is trying to raise the pitch of the backscale to the target string = tension. When you pull a string up to pitch and hit it several times with the hammer = (piano hammer, that is!), and it keeps going flat, it is likely that the = backscale tension is less than the speaking length string tension. By pressing = down on the speaking length, you increase the tension on the backscale. Then, when = you raise the pitch of the speaking length, the backscale is already at a similar = tension and you will not observe the tendency for the pitch of the speaking = length to keep dropping - it will be much more stable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't know that there is really any specific technique to doing = this. In the high treble especially, try not to press down in one spot on the = string - you will make a kink in it (I read that in a book somewhere). Do it in a = sweeping motion running the tool across much of the length of the = string. The string stretching tool made for restringing and sold by Schaff, etc. = would likely work great for this also.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This really tends to produce rock-solid tunings when there is a = small pitch raise involved. With a bigger pitch raise I find it produces a fairly = solid tuning instead of one that wanders all over as your drive down the = street to cash the piano owner's check!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell<BR>Piano Tuning & Service<BR>Tampa, Florida<BR><A = href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A></DI= V></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:pianola@online.no" title=pianola@online.no>Ola = Andersson</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, February 18, 2001 = 5:24 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> String massage</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi gang!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I got a reply from Ruud Billenkamp = </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>some months ago and now I'm going to pitch raise = and tune one of those Rippens</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I made myself a string voicing tool = of a brass rod that I can put into my regulatingscrewdriver.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Can it help me to stabilise the = pressure of the speaking and nonspeaking areas if I massage the string?</FONT><FONT = face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial size=2> Espessially in the last one and = a half octave. Will it save me time and give me a more stabile result? I've tried it = and noticed the string reacts alot to it.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Do anybody have thougts about = this?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What part of the string do I start = with and how much massage is needed?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've tried to use the archives but it = want work today.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I also seen this done by Jim Coleman = on a Video but he used it for setting the string.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many Thanks </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ola Andersson<BR><BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Reply was<BR>><BR>>> I = had to pitch raise and tune a Rippen today!<BR>>> My question is:<BR>>> = Because of the  long "non speaking" area of the string next to the pins.<BR>>>(Sorry for my bad explaination but I'm exhausted) you = know what I mean. How<BR>>>is the best way of doing this on a Rippen (pitchraise + tune)? I suppose you<BR>>>done some?<BR><BR>>My = way, could be, pitch raise first, gentle of course, then press down? and<BR>>strike all the wire from the hitchpins to the tuningpins to = loose all the<BR>>rusty points where the wire sticks to the pins and </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>Then press the sustain and BANGG = all the keys to equal all the<BR>>tensionpartials.<BR>>Well I could do it = this way i = think.<BR><BR>Rudyard,<BR><BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML= >