<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Hi,Tom!  To make the task of tuning square grands easier,there is a special tuning hammer with extra long handle deigned for that task.I had one and it made this job a lot easier.But,a few years ago I gave it to Joe Garrett and ,maybe,he can describe it better to other square piano enthusiasts..He told me that it makes tuning square grands a lot easier.   Great Holidays to everyone! Isaac  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Tvak@aol.com href="mailto:Tvak@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> 12/21/04 8:50:02 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> square grand tuning: fun</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT face=Geneva color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">List<BR><BR>Everything I know about tuning square grands I learned from what I've read here on the list.  Never having done it, and having a fondness for things ancient, I read most of the posts about square grands.  And from what I've read, it's something you would do only when faced with a firing squad.  Why?  Because your back will be sore for days afterwards from bending over the thing trying to reach the tuning pins and hit the key at the same time.  <BR><BR>Still...I was willing to have a sore back just to have the experience of working on one.  <BR><BR>Well, for those of you who haven't had the joy yet, let me say that it ain't necessarily so.  I tuned my first square grand this week and it was fun.  Yeah, I had to stretch a bit to reach the tuning pins but I used my Schaff extension hammer and I really had to stand (or stoop over) the piano only to reach the top octave.  The other pins I could reach while sitting at the bench.  (Stool, actually...)<BR><BR>Maybe this was a small square, and thus was easier to reach the tuning pins.  Then again, maybe some people are just whiners.  <BR><BR>Maybe both!<BR><BR>This square, a Hallet and Davis, was a charming piano with a quaint sound.  There were no trichords, even the steel treble strings were all bichords, so the tuning went fast.  There were a few bass wound bichords that were difficult (impossible) to tune a true unison on, but hey, I had the exact same experience with a Steinway 45" vertical today. <BR><BR>Just thought I'd present a different viewpoint on the experience.<BR><BR>Tom Sivak<BR>Chicago PTG Associate<BR><BR>P.S.<BR>For the record, I'm 5'11", and am not built like an orangutan: my arm length is proportional to my height!  (Just thought I'd cut a couple of jokes in the bud.)<BR><BR></FONT><FONT face=Geneva color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>