I haven't used a strip mute for the last 5or 6 years, whether I am using my SAT or tuning aurally. I find that my tunings are more stable than before, and if/when something does shift I can't miss it. Before abandoning the strip mute, the center section would tend to flatten as I went up, resulting in tenths that were too slow just above the temperament and too fast past the first break. I only use one mute, but it has two mutes on one handle, depending on whether I need a thin or wide mute. It's also handy for tuning uprights because the end not being used tends to catch on the hammers if the other end comes loose from the strings, so it doesn't fall into the bottom of the piano as often. To make this "double-ended mute" I simply cut off the last half inch of handle that came on the mute and put the other mute on the cut wire. I don't want to carry anything in my tool bag that isn't absolutely necessary, especially something that wraps around other tools, such as the strip. David Graham dgraham@niu.edu
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