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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hi Alan,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I think I have the Schaff 204 mute that you =
mentioned, but
I have a question about it. The mute is a split rubber mute, but =
one part
seems a bit thicker than the other. For whatever reason, perhaps =
lack of
practice and patience with it, I have trouble use it to mute in the
trebble. The handle gets in the way of the hammer typically, but =
I'm with
you. I hate strip muting the trebble. I don't even waste my time with =
the
bass. I use a stick mute and mute off the right string of one and =
go down
to the next right string, then when Im finished the bass, I go back and =
do the
left strings. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You mentioned making intervals sound good. I =
find that
when tuning the bass, if I tune the tinny sounds out of fifths and =
fourths, Im
usually right in where the note should be. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I'm new at this too, and I agree, join the =
PTG. It's
like being part of a family of other tuners. So, Alan, if you have =
any
ideas for any for anyone who is sight impaired on how to use that blue =
steeled
mute you mentioned, please let us know. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I found that one way to know if the tuning is =
good on a
spinit is when the customer comments that it sounds louder when I'm
finished. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Have a good one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Marshall</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>ps. I'm now an associate member of the PTG. I =
cannot wait
to get my materials in the mail.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tune4u@earthlink.net =
href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">Alan
Barnard</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 23, =
2006 2:20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Thoughts for Newbies =
was RE:
Spinet</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Some thoughts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>If pins don't hold, Stop. =
You cannot
tune that piano unless and until you deal with that =
problem.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>As to muting strings, I =
strongly
recommend that you order a Treble Mute (Schaff p33 item 204). It is
misnamed: You can use it on all trichord unisons. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Place it as shown in the
attached photo and tune the center string. Then move it one =
unison to the
right and tune the left string of the unison you just worked on and =
the center
string of the new one. Then shift it again, tune the right string of =
the first
unison, the left string of the second, and the center of the newest =
one.
Etcetera. Works like a charm in many situations. I like to use it in =
all
uprights for the trebles that still have dampers, for example, because =
I don't
like stripping behind dampers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>If you are tuning aurally =
(the hard
road to making money but a great road to really learn tuning--if you
persevere) then you can use the mute instead of stripping and tune the =
whole
unison of each note as you go. This will FORCE you to develop good =
hammer
technique, good unison tuning, and an accurate ear for =
intervals.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>You should be able to strip =
mute all or
most of that spinet but you will have to place the strip then =
carefully
slide it down on the strings until it is well below the strike
point. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>If the block is weak, as =
you seem to
have found, it is likely that the instrument is rather old or ill-used =
and the
dull thuddiness of the bass strings is due to dirt, corrosion, and =
general
aging. You can try tuning each bass single or bichord unison, =
one at a
time, down until it is pretty floppy than wanging HARD on the key to =
break up
the crud. Then carefully bring them back to pitch Sometimes it does no =
discernible good, but sometimes it makes a dramatic =
difference.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Some old spinets (a P.A. =
Stark I knew
all-too-well comes to mind) will sound pukey no matter how well tuned =
it is.
BUT at this stage, you shouldn't just assume that an instrument you =
are facing
is one of those. You must work hard and long to make it sound the best =
it can.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Set a temperament that has =
three things
for sure: Clean octaves, almost-pure but narrow fifths with
acceptable fourths, and evenly progressing major thirds. Then, going =
down, you
should tune by octaves--gradually changing from 4:2 to 6:3 by C3 or =
so--but
tweak those octaves based on the same criteria as the temperament. In =
other
words, extend the temperament across the bass/tenor =
break.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Going up out of the =
temperament, clean
octaves, clean (almost pure) fifths, and evenly progressing 3rds (or =
tenths,
seventeenths, etc.) still rule but your octaves should begin to narrow =
slightly in the fifth octave, tending toward slightly stretched 2:1 =
octaves
and nearly pure 4:1 double octaves. You must learn the M10-M17 and =
M3-M17
tests. Also, you can usually hear the 4:1 by holding down the lower =
note, say
D4, without sounding it, then strike and hold the double octave, D6 in =
this
case, and listen for any beats in the ghost.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>In a similar vain: As a new =
tuner you
must not quickly assume that every hard-to-tune unison is a result of =
false
beats (wild strings). Almost any unison can be made acceptable, if not =
good,
with careful tweaking and solid pin/string settling. In other words, =
don't
give up too easily here, either.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>All this makes early tuning =
a
laborious, time-consuming, and sometimes frustrating experience. But =
if you
will read articles and books and list-posts on what you are doing, and =
concentrate, study, and THINK about what you are feeling and hearing, =
you will
learn and will be a better tuner--and ultimately faster and better =
able to
handle the ugliest pianos--than the guy who starts out just getting by =
and
never really gets past that stage.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4>Join PTG, attend meetings, =
go to
conferences and conventions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Alan Barnard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Salem, Missouri</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=anson.kao@gmail.com =
href="mailto:anson.kao@gmail.com">Anson Kao</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 02/23/2006 11:46:43 AM =
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Spinet</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV>Hello everyone;</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am just starting out with tuning. I did my first Spinet =
last
night and it was terrible! I see why they say expensive grands =
are
easier to tune. The bass was in drastic condition and some of =
the
strings had a dull sound that I couldn't identify. Some of the =
notes
couldn't hold the tuning, once I tuned it the pin would just slip =
back on
its own. Another problem I had was I couldn't figure out how =
to mute
the outside strings for the treble--there was no space for a =
temperament
strip and I couldn't figure out a good way to do it. =
Thankfully it was
just a friend's piano I was doing as a favour, and I got away with a =
rough
tuning. Anyhow, for any of you who have dealt with these =
problems
before, any advice? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks</DIV>
<DIV>Anson</DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
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