Why not to tune a piano?

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 8/01/2000 10:44:18 AM, keyboard@cysource.com writes:

<< Voicing is not tuning. >>

Yeah Dave you are correct, and 'landing' an airplane is not 'flying' but 
would you want to travel with a good "flyer"? :-)

<<"Note even related.">>
As correct as you are in the first statement you are as wrong in this one. 
Tuning affects "voicing" and "voicing" affects tuning, this is not even a 
debatable point. 
The very important reason for a pianos existence is the providing of 'good' 
tone. And with so many factors in the construction of a piano being involved 
'directly' with either tone production or tone re-enforcement it is 
imperative that either the "rebuilder" have knowledge of tuning/tone or,  
have a "tuner/tone" builder come in after the rebuild, or during, to advise 
on these points.

  Now if you are talking about 'parts installers' OK, but I thought we were 
talking about "rebuilders". (rebuilding to me carries an inherent implication 
of restoring an instrument to it's former capacity or higher) 
  We could have a category of RPI, rather than RPR or perhaps both.

However one manifest question remains, i.e.;
<<"how is the 
determination made for the numerous decisions called for in the process of 
rebuilding if the "rebuilder" does not tune and or at least know  the 
questions that must be answered and why.....">> 


Again I have NO quarrel with rebuilders who "do not tune", but providing a 
category for them? Especially when we can't even agree on such mundane things 
as the needfullness of full block/flange contact? Or how high the string coil 
should be above the plate web?, etc??  When the questions I posited are 
addressed adequately I would be more amenable to thinking about an "RPR" 
category but until such time as that happens....... in my opinion this is a 
non-starter.
Jim Bryant (FL)