<!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 6.00.2716.2200" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Dave, I too always = check my forks. I always calibrate them so that they're at A440 after being = brought up to 98.6 degrees Farenheight. ( I put them between my belt and my = shirt.)  I used to have a Hale electro-fork. It worked great, but I never used it = because it tunes with no stretch. I left it with a girlfriend of mine who owns a = music store when I left California. (Was great for autoharps) I taught her to = tune the center octave to the stupid machine, and tune out by ear. It would have = made a great pitch reference for A4, though. I didn't use it because it was way = bigger than a fork. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    I left California = because it was becoming too much like Madison, WI.  ( 52 square miles, = surrounded by reality.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Kevin E. Ramsey<BR><A href="mailto:ramsey@extremezone.com">ramsey@extremezone.com</A></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=drjazzca@yahoo.ca href="mailto:drjazzca@yahoo.ca">David = Renaud</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> Friday, May 24, 2002 4:11 = PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Retirement of a = fork</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>  I recall getting paranoid about my fork = before<BR>my exam. Checking at the acutuner display I<BR>was appalled to learn it = was 2.5 cents flat. <BR>Promptly purchased a new one, finding it .8 cents off.<BR>Reporting to the supplier's table they offered their<BR>best = big $50 heavy fork. To acutuner I ran<BR>discovering it was 4.5 cents flat. <BR><BR>  So I learned to adjust forks and calibrated = my<BR>collection. Learned to be aware of fork temperature<BR>and resulting pitch = variation. For years they served<BR>me well. From time to time I would drop one, or they<BR>would rust out. For whatever reason every time I = would<BR> check them against a machine they had changed<BR>somewhat, requiring = tweaking of pitch. <BR><BR>These last 3 years I use an cheap Sieko device = that<BR>can buzz pitches. $5 garage sale item. Checked it's A<BR>with acutuner and = tunelab on various occasions and it<BR>stops the lights.  <BR><BR>  It = does not wear out the old teeth, does not<BR>fluctuate in pitch with = temperature, does not require<BR>3 hands, has not required tweaking of = pitch<BR>calibration, and is not expensive. <BR><BR> Based on my experience I propose that = we can maintain<BR>a more consistent standard with greater ease, = and<BR>therefore a higher standard with a cheap electronic A<BR>then with a fork.  <BR><BR>  PS. I still carry a fork, as it does not = require<BR>batteries. <BR>Also Continue to experiment with tunelab these <BR>last couple = months. Nice tool.    = <BR><BR>          &nbsp= ;           Dave = Renaud<BR>          &nb= sp;           RPT<BR>      <BR><BR>  = <BR><BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR> &nb= sp;  <BR><BR><BR><BR>  = <BR><BR>_________________________________________________________________= _____ <BR>Find, Connect, Date! <A = href="http://personals.yahoo.ca">http://personals.yahoo.ca</A></BLOCKQU= OTE></BODY></HTML>