<HTML>In a message dated 7/10/02 2:00:14 PM Central Daylight Time, Piannaman@AOL.COM writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I just tuned a Betsy Ross spinet made by Lester.  Interesting little pianos.  Built with a fair amount of integrity in the materials(no plastic in the elbows of this one).  At least they were trying to make a decent insrument. I thought that I'd tuned a few of them in the past, but I didn't remember that there were at least five  notes below the bass-treble break that were wound tri-chords.  AAArggh.  I guess this would have been the time to use my ETD.  All kinds of ungodly noises emanated from these strings.  I could not get a unison to sound like a unison.  String speaking lengths were different, the windings were bunching up at the top.    Has anybody tuned one of these using an ETD?  Any luck with that section??  I guess if it doesn't sound good, at least you can point out that the computer wouldn't lie. Frustratedly yours,</BLOCKQUOTE> I'm glad you found some redeeming value in the Betsy Ross spinet, many who write on here wouldn't.  Actually, I think you would do best tuning aurally.  The problem you describe with 3 strings in which the windings are not exactly the same is called a "snarl".  What is happening is 3 different amounts of inharmonicity.  Don't be frustrated by that, just accept the fact that it is impossible to tune the type of unison you are capable of on a better made and designed piano. You simply get it as close as you can without stressing out about it and move on.  Most ETD's offer a calculated program that focuses on one particular partial.  That calculation is likely to be incorrect for this kind of piano.  There may be ways of resetting the ETD to make it match the scale design but by the time you've done that, you could have had it already done and moved on by tuning aurally.  Your ear will be able to sort out these mismatches and make the best compromise the quickest.   It is not necessary or even advisable to make excuses about the way the piano sounds to the customer.  Usually, a person with this type of piano is not very discriminating.  They are used to the way it sounds.  Certainly, no other technician has been able to do anything about the problem so you can be sure that none has been able to make it sound better than you can. This goes for false beats and poorly wound strings in bigger and better pianos too.  It's better to just do the best you can and be done with it.  If a customer does pick up on the imperfection, that is the time to explain that it can't really be made to sound better.  If changing of strings or structural repair will solve these problems on a better piano, then offer that as the solution, don't say, "It's not my fault". Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>