Beware! Worn out tuning tip.

[Brian Trout]

Hi Johannes,

What's the weather like there?  It's not just idle conversation.

I've come to appreciate that changing weather patterns and related
conditions can wreak havoc upon the best of tunings.

I have a church that I tune for.  They have a Kawai grand.   Depending upon
exactly WHEN I tune this thing, it will give remarkably different results.
If I tune it at a particularly unsettled time (temperature or humidity or
both), the tuning is practically worthless, regardless of how carefully I
tune and set each pin.  If it is tuned at the "right" time, when conditions
are stable, the tunings are rock solid.  Yes, it's very frustrating when
it's time to tune, and the weather isn't cooperating.  But it's not loose
tuning pins, and it's not a loose tuning hammer tip, and it's not poor
tuning technique. (I blamed myself on the last one several times before I
realized what was going on.) This piano doesn't have a climate control
system (yet), so it has several things working against it.

Your piano might be different.  It's hard to tell over the cyberwire.  But
it's my guess that it's a bit more complex than just a worn tuning hammer
tip.

Just my $0.02

Best wishes,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net