I live in transient suburb who's citizens and those who are my customers are constantly moving in and out chasing their careers in the oil patch, the Navy and various government vocations. So I get in a lot of pianos from all over the world that have a puzzling charastic. The pitch of the A4 is many times considerably different (usually flatter) than its immediate neighbors! Considering the fact that this is the wettest place in the world this time of year, I'm not surprized to get a piano that is 15 to 20 cents sharp if it came in from Denver or AT pitch in the middle while the ends are 30 cents flat if it had been neglected, but why is there 4-8 cents difference between A-4 and G# or A#? Since we SAT users usually measure that note to compute a pitch raise offset (I don't anymore) it can lead to some interesting results. Why is it flatter? Is it because we tune the "A" first in the temperament process? Or the F,A & C in the FAC procedure? Several times after finishing the FAC procedure on a substantial pitch raise, I've wondered if I should put those strings back at the pitch they were at the start so all of the strings would be pulled up together! I've also noticed the A" being slightly flat at times on pianos that just need a tuning, old customers as well as new. So what is going on here? Any guesses? Warren -- Home of The Humor List Warren D. Fisher fish@communique.net Registered Piano Technician Piano Technicians Guild New Orleans Chapter 701
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