<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1250"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Alan,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Smart client!  ;-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My guess would be the = following:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As humidity cycles, the conformation of = the wood around the tuning pin cycles as well.  As the wood "wiggles" to and = fro around the pin, there will be some slippage in the direction of the = torque applied by the string.  It will be very subtle and slow, just like the  changes in wood conformation around the pin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is only a theory.  A good = test of the theory would be a screw stringer piano.  Do those pianos go = steadily flat, at least after the string has fully tensilized?  I would guess they = don't, but I certainly wouldn't stake my life on it.</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=tune4u@earthlink.net = href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">Alan</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> Saturday, March 26, 2005 = 12:49 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Flat Facts</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial>This question = is so basic and naive, I fear the wrath of the list so I will ask it annonymously ...</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial>Customer = asked: "I understand that humidity change is the principle cause for going out = of tune, but if it gets flat than sharp, etc., why is the long term trend = always flat? </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial>In = other words, if it's a fact that the tuning pins are slowly turning = counterclockwise with playing and weather, why can't you just lock them in place, = somehow, so the piano stays close to pitch all the time?"</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial>I stood there = staring stupidly and could not conjur a sensible-sounding answer.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=734104117-26032005><FONT face=Arial>What would = YOU say?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=734104117-26032005>Mystery Writer</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=734104117-26032005></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT = face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=734104117-26032005></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=734104117-26032005></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT = face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=734104117-26032005></SPAN>Salem, = MO</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV><BR> <P><FONT size=2>--<BR>No virus found in this outgoing = message.<BR>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR>Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.3 - = Release Date: 03/25/2005<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>