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<DIV><FONT size=2>Hey Terry,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Chip tuning is a factory term used to describe the =
tuning done
without the action being available. The stringer would "chip" or pluck =
the
string and start the initial tunings. Those tunings are extremely rough =
as they
really are not meant to be harmonious as they are a means of getting =
tension
onto the piano.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Then the strings are seated around the termination =
and bearing
points and eventually the action is added. Then the musical part =
of tuning
begins to take shape.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Tom Servinsky,RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM" =
title=Wimblees@AOL.COM>Wimblees@AOL.COM</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> Thursday, October 04, =
2001 1:28
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: String =
rollers</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a =
message dated
10/4/01 11:31:47 AM Central Daylight Time, <A
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A> =
writes:
<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"
TYPE="CITE">Just what the heck is chipping? Rough tuning while =
plucking? Is
there <BR>something inherently different about bringing a freshly =
strung
piano up to <BR>pitch and in rough tune than doing a several-step
pitch-raise? What is the <BR>difference between chipping a piano up =
to pitch
and raising the pitch of an <BR>old upright that is 5 whole steps =
below
standard pitch???? <BR><BR>Terry Farrell =
<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Chipping
is the process of rough tuning the piano the first time right after it =
has
been strung. The advantage of chipping is that it can be done without =
the
dampers installed. Yes, you can tune a piano without the dampers, but =
it would
be very difficult to do. <BR><BR>Although I stretch the strings before =
chipping, I also chip the piano a half step high. My method of =
chipping is as
follows. I find what note is the first in the treble section. I then =
find an
in tune piano, and play a note half a step above it. In other words if =
the
first note in the treble is a b2, I play a c3 on an in tune piano. I =
then chip
tune a major scale on the left string. I will continue to tune the =
major scale
all the way up to the top note. I then go back and chip the next =
string, c#3,
and start a major scale from that note. Obviously, when I get to the =
third
note of the C# scale, it is already in tune from the c scale I just =
did. This
is sort of a check for me. I will continue this all the way up. After =
all the
left strings have been tuned, I will tune the right string of each =
note,
starting at c3. I then tune one string of the bass section, to even =
out the
tension on the plate. That is followed by tuning the middle string of =
the
treble, and I end up tuning t! he left over bass strings of the =
bichords.
<BR><BR>Under normal circumstances, by the time I install the action, =
(after
the dampers have been hung), which is usually about a day or two =
later, the
piano will have dropped about 150 - 175 cents, to about 50 - 75 cents =
below
"pitch." Most of that drop I attribute to down bearing pressure on the =
board.
The rest on the strings stretching. So I do a "Normal" pitch raise. =
(off
setting the SAT 25 cents high), followed immediately by second tuning =
10 cents
high. Then over the next 2 weeks, the piano will get tuned 4 more =
times, with
enough time in between tunings to let the strings settle some more. =
But
each time I will tune the piano 5 cents high. Just before the piano =
goes out
the door, I will give it one more tuning at pitch, and tune the piano =
2 weeks
later in the customers home. Most of those tunings will require a 10 =
cent or
less pitch raise. <BR><BR>With this procedure, I have found that most =
pianos
will stabilize after a year, which includes 4 tunings. <BR><BR>Willem
</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>