Tuning old Chickerings

[David ilvedson]

> Date:          Tue, 11 Jun 1996 00:58:25 -0600 (MDT)
> From:          Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
> Subject:       Tuning old Chickerings
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <pianotech@byu.edu>
> Reply-to:      pianotech@byu.edu

Les,

Thanks for the input...Like you, I have no qualms about "judicious" use of
liquid wrench when appropriate.

> > Hell...o...Can anyone tell me a general rule about Chickerings=20
> > and other makers that were not designed for A440.  I have had a=20
> > few bad experiences with pitch raises and breaking strings on=20
> > Chickerings.  I have heard that the correct pitch is printed on=20
> > the plate.  One of my bad experiences had no printing...
> >=20
> > Thanks in advance...
> >=20
> > David ilvedson, RPT
> > in my former net life i was pnotuner@gnn.com
> =20

> Hi, Dave. Since no one else tackled this, I'll give it a shot. Back
> when Chickering was a independent compnay, that is before they became
> part of the American Piano Compnay in 1907, they did, indeed, write the
> pitch directly on the plate. It usually read "tune to international pitch
> A-435". After they became part of the APC, the indication of the pitch was
> dropped from the plate, even though at that time they were still tuning to
> A-435. The American Music Industries formally adopted A-440 as their concer=
> t
> pitch in 1925, although our Bureau of Standards didn't do so until 1936.=20
> A-440 didn't become "International" in acceptance until a formal treaty in
> 1939. Thus all American-made pianos have been tuned to A-440 since 1925 and
> some makers were probably tuning to it before then.
>
> As regards Chickering pianos in general, 1925 is probably the date to go
> by as regards the pitch they should be tuned to. In other words, pre-1925,
> A-435; 1925 and on, A-440. There are, however, a couple of other consider-
> ations with reagrds to older Chickering uprights in general. Despite press
> to the contrary, those older Chickering uprights were nowhere near the same
> quality as Steinway uprights of the same vintage. Soundboard, bass and treb=
> le
> bridge and pinblock problems are likely to be in evidence in virtually any
> older Chickering uprights you encounter. So before attempting a pitch-raise=
> =F3
> on one of these piano, I recommend pulling the bottom panel ane carefully
> checking out the bass bridge for cracks at the pins, or worse. Ditto for
> the treble bridge, too. If bridge problems are present, you'll only be mak-
> ing matters worse by attempting a pitch-raise.
>
> Also it's not uncommon to find older Chickerings, both grands and uprights
> alike, with strings so brittle that they've started to break of their own
> accord. Thus a pitch-raise on an older Chickering is almost always a dicey
> proposition at best. Despite a lot of negative feedback from others recentl=
> y,
> I wouldn't hesitate to use a rust-penetrant like Liquid Wrench, Wd-40 or CR=
> C
> 5-56 on badly corroded strings, especially in the upper register, at bearin=
> g
> points like the pressure bar. Such rust penetrants will actually dissolve t=
> he
> rust and return metal to metal contact, while lubricating the bearing point
> as well. Further, when you go to retune in a year or so, you will find that
> such penetrants are still doing their job and that the strings can be tuned
> without fear of breakage. When I first started tuning in the late 50's, mos=
> t
> of today's modern, space-age lubricants were unknown. One used what worked.
> I do about a thousand tunings a year. Mostly older pianos. The last time I
> broke a string was about 15-16 years ago on an 1865 Steinway that still=20
> had it's original strings. In perspective that was about 15,000 pianos ago.
> I attribute my lack of string breakage to the judicious, controlled use of
> such rust penetrants, especially in the last octave or so in the high trebl=
> e.
> Such substances are applied in minute amounts with either a small artists
> brush or a tooth-pick, just enough to do the job. BTW, Art Reblitz, mention=
> s
> their use as well. While everyone spends the next week pointing out that
> such substances have no place in a piano, that WD stands for water-displace=
> -
> mant formula and has absolutely no lubricating properties at all, etc., etc=
> ,
> the next time you called upon to tune one of those old "Chickerings from
> Hell" you might want to try their use in the high treble section and note
> the results for yourself. And you might want to use 1925 as the A-435/A-440
> transition date after duly noting the condition of the piano first. I hope
> you find some of this useful.
>
> Les Smith
> lessmith@buffnet.net
>
>
in my former net life i was pnotuner@gnn.com