pitch lowering/strip mutes

[Warren Fisher]

Bill,

These are my words that have been quoted out of context for the last
couple of days.  They refer to a discussion on pitch raising or lowering
where the object of the procedure is to do it as quickly as possible
then get on with the tuning. I said I didn't think strip muting the
entire piano was worth the time in that instance, because I can Pitch
raise faster with a short un-wired rubber mute inserted to kill the
right string while I pull up the other two.

When I Tune a grand, or a good sized upright, I used to strip-mute the
entire piano and tune from 1-88 with Dr. Sanderson's tuning/muting
pattern,  but I have a mental problem with this procedure that goes back
to about ten years of complete stripping and tuning only the center
string throughout the piano and then going back to do unisons. 
Sometimes when I do the Sanderson method and am about halfway through
the treble, my mind goes "click" and about an octave later I realize
that I'm not tuning anymore but doing unisons! Then I have to go back
and find where it happened and fix it!  There went most of the advantage
of stripping that piano. This happens quite often when I'm pushing to
get a pitch changed quickly..

Another problem I have is in the bass bichords.  I used to put a strip
between each two bichords, tune the left string of the first bichord and
the right string of the second.  Then I would pull the strip and tune
the other two strings.  This works great until you put your lever on the
wrong tuning pin or you recheck the section and find that something has
slipped.  Then figuring out which string is tuned to the SAT is
awkward.  If I use a rubber wedge in that section, then the
reference-tuned string is always the left one and the right string was
tuned to it.  If you have a better way to use a strip in this section, I
would surely like to hear it!

My last problem area is using the Sanderson pattern on uprights where
the strip has been shoved behind the treble dampers.  I have a real
problem with the end of the strip getting in the way of the hammer.  So
when I get agravated, I pull the strip out and use a wire mute on the
right and a Papps mute on the left, inserted between the hammer shanks,
until I clear the damper area and then go back to the strip; or if I'm
really aggravated, I remove the strip altogether and continue to the top
with the two mutes.  If that happens then the only part of the upright
I've Pitch-raised with the strip is the middle and if I'm not setting an
aural temperament, why bother?  In my humble opinion!

But, I still love the strip for tuning a grand! But I use a 1X4" rubber
mute in the bichords!

Sincerely,

Warren

Billbrpt@aol.com wrote:
> 
 "wasting my time".
> 
> Bill Bremmer RPT
> Madison, Wisconsin

-- 
Warren D. Fisher
fish@communique.net
Registered Piano Technician
Piano Technicians Guild
New Orleans Chapter 701