stability question

[Clyde Hollinger]

Kris,

Even though you've received numerous responses I feel compelled to add
my "voice."

What does a Hydro-Dry bar do?  It sounds like something intended to dry
out moist areas.  If the bar is powerful enough to have any effect, it
would be taking the piano the wrong direction.  What is needed in
February is more humidity, not less, if Minnesota is anything like my
part of Pennsylvania.

Now let's talk economics a little (these figures are hypothetical for
the sake of my argument).  Let's assume the church can budget $300
annually for piano care.  Over a period of two years they could spend
$600 for ten tunings at $60 each, or they could buy a complete vertical
Dampp-Chaser installation for $300 plus five tunings for the other
$300.  

After the first two years the piano maintenance costs are likely to drop
dramatically.  The expenditure will be roughly the same, but with the
latter approach the piano will stay ever so much better in tune, IF the
humidity change is the problem.  And I bet it is, by your description,
even though someone mentioned these pianos had tuning stability
problems.

You mentioned hefty cents deviation.  If they seem to balance each other
out more or less, sometimes sharp sometimes flat, then I seriously doubt
the pinblock is the main problem.

Clyde Hollinger

K Anderson wrote:
> 
> Hi, List,
 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.