<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <title></title> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Don, I've found it to be the opposite. Strip muting is faster for me, but not so much so in grands. It only takes a minute or two to strip mute a piano, and that includes getting them from the case. One of the inherent problems with a strip is that the muting is sometimes less effective, although one can learn to listen around that. I find strip muting particularly faster in verticals where getting the mute(s) behind the treble damper felts takes a lot of time. The mutes are forever in the way of the hammer in that section unless you get them below the top of the dampers - out of the hammer's way. The Papps mute works all right, but I generally use a strip mute in verticals. If using the strip, you can tune unisons as you go, just like with rubber mutes. I do it all the time. I use action cloth strips. Perhaps a different type felt is more difficult. But I don't see how it would make a 20-40 minute difference to simply put strips of felt in between strings. Or did I misunderstand you? John Formsma Don wrote: <blockquote cite="mid3.0.6.32.20060212143905.015798f0@accesscomm.ca" type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Hi Marshall, Strip muting the entire piano takes longer than using just two mutes outside of the temperament area. Even faster than two mutes is a single "split mute" or "double mute". This will also contribute to stability as unisons are done "as you go". The total saving in time per tuning amounts to between 20 and 40 minutes. If one must strip mute--use two strips and alternate between them. The problem with the gang mute is getting *all* those fingers in the right places--far more problematic than a temperament strip. At 12:36 PM 2/12/2006 -0500, you wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">HI DOn, Are those little gang mutes a time waster? I'm trying to think of ways to speed up. One that works well for me is this. When I"m finished with the center strings, I start at the trebble and pull the temp strip out and do the right stinrg. Then I either go back up or start at the end and do the left string. I notice after I tune a piano the trebble sounds brilliant with a nice ring to it. I think that's pretty cool actually starting out. Marshall </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T. Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:pianotuna@yahoo.com">mailto:pianotuna@yahoo.com</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/">http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/</a> 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7 306-539-0716 or 1-888-29t-uner _______________________________________________ Pianotech list info: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> </pre> </blockquote> </body> </html>