<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C58856.D987D550"> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor="#CCCCFF" lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue = style='tab-interval: .5in'> <div class=Section1> Yes these systems really work and = it may require a rethinking of how we market the need for tuning. 3 to 7 cents = sharp in the middle means that the piano won’t sound awful and may not = even be really noticeable to the customer but it will definitely make it sound a = little ripe. The customer may not be able to identify the sound as being out of = tune because the onset is so gradual. But it certainly won’t be = performing at its optimum. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> In such situation I relay to the = customer that oftentimes people tell me that they find themselves playing the = piano more right after it gets tuned. This is because the piano sounds so great! = They are getting more enjoyment out of their playing and they will play it more. = As it gradually starts drifting it won’t really sound out of tune but = they won’t get as much enjoyment and may find themselves playing it less. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The question is when did the piano = get to be 3 to 7 cents sharp? I suspect it wasn’t just the week before = you got there. It was probably +/- 2 to 3 at 4 months and +/- 3 to 7 at 9 = months. That means for most of the year that she has waited to get her piano tuned it = has been out of tune, it has not been optimum. It may have sounded = “okay” but she has been cheating herself out of what her piano is capable of. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The answer to the question of = “how often should I get it tuned?” is how badly do you want it to go = out before you get it retuned? Most of us could return to one of our tunings = a week or two later and do some tweaking. The piano starts to go out as soon as = we are done tuning. The goal of a regular tuning schedule is to keep the piano = IN TUNE and not to let it get OUT OF TUNE. Alan’s customer is a classical pianist. She needs her piano to be in tune every time she sits down to = play. For it to be out 7 cents is way too much for such a = pianist, even though it may sound “okay.” Does she want her ears to = become accustomed to the sound of an out of tune piano? Because that is what = she is training them to accept by allowing her piano to go out that much. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p></fon= t> <st1:PersonName>Dean May</st1:PersonName>       &nbs= p;     cell 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.co= m   = 812.235.5272<o:p></o:p> Terre Haute = IN  = 47802<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> -----Origi= nal Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Alan Barnard Sent: Wednesday, July 13, = 2005 10:43 PM To: Pianotech Subject: RE: room climate = control <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div> Piano: 1903 Steinway S, nice home, older lady, excellent classical pianist, A/C = seldom used even though we have tropical, steamy summers. Installed a full DC = about 14 months ago, tuned it two months later. No undercover, for reasons too complicated to explain.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Story: Called for 6 month tuning, she said it "sounded okay" and = she'd like to wait 'til it's been a year (We've heard THAT before, haven't we?). = Tuned the piano this morning (12 months). The center notes were about 3 to 7 cents = sharp (the remains of Hurricane What'sitsname just dumped two days of rain on us), = the bass was ON, the treble was CLOSE, the high treble was ON. I did very = little actual pin turning to tune that piano.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Result: She said: "Isn't that great. I can just tune it once a = year!"  Hmmm .... happy customer, annual tuning fees cut in half for = her—and for me, dang it. I've got her half talked into a full reg/voicing job which = the piano desperately needs, so that'll help make up for = it.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Moral: Once again, I have seen and heard results that make me a staunch, avid, = perhaps rabid believer in DC systems. As long as they are kept plugged in and maintained (a big IF in many cases...) they really, really = work.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div> Alan Barnard<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Salem, Missouri<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black = 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> ----- = Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From: <a href="mailto:pianoforte@pianofortesupply.com" title="pianoforte@pianofortesupply.com">Piano Forte Supply</a> = <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" = title="pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><o:p></o:p></font= > </div> <div> Sent:</span= > 07/13/2005 4:59:41 PM <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject:</s= pan> room climate control<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> I have a client with a 7' Kawai grand in a basement studio.  The = Relative Humidity  is always on the high side (60%).  I urged him to = monitor the humidity with an electronic hygrometer and to get a = dehumidifier. He did this, however the controller on the dehumidifier in very = inaccurate.  With the controller set at 40%, it cut out when the humidity is still = above 60%.  The manufacturer told him they are all not precise.  He = has searched for higher end units, but even the manufacturers of these do not = guarantee the precision of their controllers. I would prefer to control the environment in the studio because it "should" be a straight forward thing to do.  I feel a = Piano Life Saver System will simply always be fighting the higher humidity in the = room. I have thought of using a Piano Life Saver humidistat to control a = simple room de-humidifier.  Would this work?  Would he need a re! = lay  between the humidistat and the de-humidifier? Any thoughts, and especially experiences, welcome. Jurgen Goering <a href="http://www.pianofortesupply.com">www.pianofortesupply.com</a> = <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>