<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1491" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Mystery Writer" asked: "<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>This question is so basic and naive, I = fear the wrath of the list so I =<BR>will ask it annonymously = ...<BR>=20<BR>Customer asked: "I understand that humidity change is the principle =<BR>cause = for going out of tune, but if it gets flat than sharp, etc., why is the = =<BR>long term trend always flat? In other words, if it's a fact that the tuning = =<BR>pins are slowly turning counterclockwise with playing and weather, why can't = =<BR>you just lock them in place, somehow, so the piano stays close to pitch all = =<BR>the time?"<BR>=20<BR>I stood there staring stupidly and could not conjur a = sensible-sounding<BR>answer.<BR>=20<BR>What would YOU = say?<BR>=20<BR>Dear Mystery Writer,</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>When a piano draws moisture, it goes sharp, which increases the tension of the = strings. Which, in turn, stretches the strings. When the piano goes back to an equilibriam below the higher moisture situation...the strings are not = "springs" that recoil back to their original position/length...THEREFORE the piano = is now FLAT. K?<G></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>Best Regards,</FONT><BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>