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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Benny,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I first started learning to tune with a =
brand new
Yamaha U1 while I was making my way through the Randy Potter =
course. The
pins were (and still are) very tight on this particular piano and I =
always felt
I was fighting with the tuning lever, especially up in the treble, where =
smaller
pin movements are needed. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I understand what you are saying about =
your
technique and I think it's valid but I was never comfortable with =
tweaking the
pin too much. As long as you are placing the small amount of =
natural twist
in the pin, you will be fine, but I never mastered the technique. =
Instead,
I use an impact hammer and easily move the pins above and below the =
target pitch
in smaller and smaller increments, finishing with a small upward turn to =
pitch. This ensures that the non-speaking length is at a slightly =
higher
tension than the speaking length and, according to Dean Reyburn, makes =
the
string very stable. I have been using this technique for over a =
year now
with very good results. The impact hammer is absolutely great for =
quick
pitch raises and for fine tuning, allows very minute changes in the =
tuning pin,
something Ive never been able to achieve with a traditional lever. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The impact hammer I have has =
interchangeable
weights so for lower-torque pins, I simply put on a lighter =
weight. In my
opinion, it is easier to learn how to use an impact hammer than a =
traditional
lever. However, for people who have used a traditional lever for a =
long
period of time, most don't seem to care much for the impact =
hammer. Of
course, I should let others on this list speak for =
themselves.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The impact lever from Shaff is ok but =
Keith Bowman
can make you a nice one that works beautifully. Give it a =
try. I bet
you will love it!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Corte Swearingen</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
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=precisionpiano@alltel.net
href="mailto:precisionpiano@alltel.net">Benny L. Tucker</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 19, =
2003 10:41
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Hard pin setting =
was(
Setting them pins!)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To clarify what I meant by hard pin =
setting. What
I'm trying to describe about my technique is this. After getting the =
pin in
the correct position, with the pitch "sharp", I like to flex the pin =
"not
flagpoling", downpitch to the perfect unison.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have always felt that the =
resistance felt
during this downpitch flex should be moderate. In other words, just a =
little
more pushing down and the whole pin will turn, but it takes great =
effort to
pull the pin back up-pitch.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> My thinking is =
that I don't
want the string to be able to pull the pin down any further, because I =
have
already pounded it in with moderate flex downpitch.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I was just =
wondering if I
might be "flexing" the pin downpitch too much, and therefore the pin =
"unwinds"
after I leave and pulls the pitch sharp. I am now trying to set the =
pins with
a lot less "flex", like at the beginning of resistance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does this make sense? Anyhow, I =
appreciate all
your advice!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Benny L. Tucker<BR>Precision Piano Tuning & =
Repair<BR>Thomaston,
Ga.<BR></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=Wimblees@aol.com
href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com">Wimblees@aol.com</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> Wednesday, February 19, =
2003
11:03 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Setting them =
pins!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 =
face=Arial size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">In a message dated 2/20/03 3:46:34 AM !!!First =
Boot!!!,
<A =
href="mailto:precisionpiano@alltel.net">precisionpiano@alltel.net</A>
writes:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff =
2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">So, my question this time, "How hard to you guys and =
gals set
the pins"?<BR>And do you feel confident with it's holding
power?<BR><BR>Thanks for your input!<BR><BR>Benny L. =
Tucker<BR>Precision
Piano Tuning =
&Repair<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Benny<BR><BR>Setting the
pin is not something that is considered "hard." So I don't know =
exactly what
you are saying when you say your setting the pin hard. The strings, =
yes, you
should hit the key hard, so that the string will settle down, and be =
rendered over all the pressure points. <BR><BR>But to set the pin, =
your
doing the right thing, by releasing the tension. But you might want =
to do
one more thing. When the string is "there," and you've released the =
tension
on the pin, just wiggle the tuning hammer a little. Don't put =
pressure on
the pin, and don't bend it. But with your fingers, just lift up the =
handle
of the hammer and wobble it up and down. (or back and forth on a =
vertical).
That is all there is to setting the pin. <BR><BR>And as far as your =
tunings
staying or not. Although setting the pin and the string will make it =
more
stable, if a piano is out after several months, especially after the =
winter
we've just had, it isnot anything you did wrong. All of our pianos =
went
haywire this winter. <BR><BR>Wim
</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>