stability question

[Michael Jorgensen]

Hi Kris,
     This problem is likely a combination of things and is all too common.
Being inches from a heating duct, the upper Midwest climate (very dry
winters, and very humid summers), plus the fragile tuning stability inherent
in these instruments is more than adequate to create a "bar room sound" out
of the nicest tuning in just a few months.  Unless the pins are very loose,
doping the pinblock will not help and will create problems.  Loose pins
typically manifest as drastic drops in pitch on individual strings, most
often in the bass and usually not as a generally out of tune piano and never
as a sharp piano.  Many pianos with very low or almost nonexistent tuning
pin torque hold just fine.
     What a technician can do is avoid tuning just before major seasonal
weather changes, install a complete Dampp-Chaser system, (provided someone
will maintain it), and a piano cover might help.  Educating the caretakers
about the problems caused by close  proximity to heating ducts, moving
pianos around, and turning the heat up and down could help.  Such
situations, if not explained, are often why customers change technicians and
are damaging to ones reputation.

Best Regards
-Mike Jorgensen


K Anderson wrote:

> Hi, List,
> I am looking for some input on a small problem;  if it's addressed in the
> archives I apologize for boring you - I don't have Internet.  The problem
> concerns a Story & Clark #413683, one of the ones "Built for churches";
> it is a church's sanctuary piano & their main worship instrument.  It
> just will not stay in tune longer than about 6 weeks.  After two months
> it's distinctly out of tune and after 2  1/2 months they call for another
> tuning. I don't mind tuning a piano often, but I feel badly for the
> church music budget.
>         There's a sticker just under the lid where the previous tunuer
> kept records; they shopw the piano was usually tuned at least three times
> a year, and those were not touch-ups; some hefty cent's deviations are
> recorded.
>         Its last few tunings were in December, Feb. 16,  and June 1st.
> In February I installed a Hyrdo-Dry bar, hoping that would at least help
> to lengthen time between tunings a little. Didn't help much - maybe added
> two weeks.  I'd prefer a Damp-Chaser unit but they can be spendy & I'm
> trying to help the church save a little, so I tried the Hydro-Dry first
> just to see.
>         The piano is not in ther best location: treble end  is mere
> inches from a heating vent (forced air heat),  and a door to the outdoors
> about 6 feet nehind the piano.  Not a main door, but a door anyway.  The
> building has no air conditioning.I have suggested that it be moved, if
> possible, to the other end of the stage, where there is no heat vent and
> no exterior door.
>         I see the piano again on Saturday;  am thinking about doping the
> block.  Any input? Thanks in advance -
>  Kris Anderson, RPT
> Hibbing , MN
>
> ___________________________________________________________________
> Get the Internet just the way you want it.
> Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
> Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.