<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Interesting "observation". Sounds sorta like Don's idea of second guessing seasonal pitch change while tuning. Personally I will massage a new string to stretch it out a bit (quite a bit if its going to be used in a concert situation) but otherwise my nice handy Schaff string tool stays comfortably in the tool box unless I am seating strings to pins. I have heard of folks even useing this tool to help in final stages of tuning... always seemed like asking for instability to me. But whatever works for you. I view this tool primarilly as an aid in what often is called "string voicing". JMTAMHO grin Farrell wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style> My observation is that if you have massaged the string (that was flat to begin with) firmly enough (no whacking!) to stretch/raise the pitch of the backscale, the pitch of the speaking length will then be lowered until you raise the pitch by turning the tuning pin. Some of the pitch will come back up as the string cools.     Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida <a href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</a> <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">From: <a href="mailto:thepianoarts@home.com" title="thepianoarts@home.com">thepianoarts</a></div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title="pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a></div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 11:23 PM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Re: String massage</div>   <blockquote> <blockquote>Ola, I use the brass rod method in setting unisons in pianos that don't render well. One note: rubbing and pushing down on the wire will lower the pitch. Some of this change is caused by heat, allowing the wire to stretch, and lower in pitch.  It is quite dramatic how the pitch will change from rubbing. Don't be fooled...the pitch will creep back up, within abount a minute.   Dan Reed Dallas Chapter Ola wrote: Can it help me to stabilise the pressure of the speaking and nonspeaking areas if I massage the string? 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.   What part of the string do I start with and how much massage is needed?   Many Thanks Ola Andersson  </blockquote> The Reply was > >> I had to pitch raise and tune a Rippen today! >> My question is: >> Because of the  long "non speaking" area of the string next to the pins. >>(Sorry for my bad explaination but I'm exhausted) you know what I mean. How >>is the best way of doing this on a Rippen (pitchraise + tune)? I suppose you >>done some? >My way, could be, pitch raise first, gentle of course, then press down? and >strike all the wire from the hitchpins to the tuningpins to loose all the >rusty points where the wire sticks to the pins and >Then press the sustain and BANGG all the keys to equal all the >tensionpartials. >Well I could do it this way i think. Rudyard,      </blockquote> </blockquote> </blockquote> -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no</A>   </body> </html>