May Their Practice rooms be filled with 1098's

[Terry Sheetz]

I tune these new for delivery in a Seinway dealer's shop/warehouse. The three
in-house tuners spread the "opportunity" :-)  around so none of us has to do
them all, though it seems I as the rookie am allowed more frequent
"opportunity". On a day's tuning list of 10-15 various pianos we tend to tune
around them on the list until they are the only ones left. I was given two very
good suggestions about tuning them that really help. First, use the tuning
lever in a 10 o'clock position. Secondly, avoid taking the string high--this
helps the rendering problem as it is tough to get it back down stably.
Other suggestions?

Terry Sheetz
Associate


Farrell wrote:

> Ahhh, the 1098. Sounds like Christopher has not had the pleasure yet. Go
> find a new one - the experience will be intensified. I learned to tune on a
> 1098. Actually, it was a 1098 that first introduced me to piano technology -
> i.e. by trying to understand the 40,000 (slight exaggeration - but only
> slight) defects in the piano.
>
> The main feature is tight tuning pins, no plate bushings, and a
> "V-bar"/pressure bar design that does not easily permit wire to slide on
> through. So, you have nearly-Baldwin-tight tuning pins to deal with, along
> with wire that will not pass (easily) from the speaking length to the
> segment at the tuning pin, and no plate bushings make for Big-Time
> flagpoling tuning pins and speaking lengths whose pitch rises or drops in
> 1/10-step increments. And that is on a 1098 that does not have other
> problems.
>
> They get slightly more mellow with age because the pins loosen up, but the
> speaking length still does not render well. And if you have one that is 25
> years old, it's likely falling apart anyway. I have several that I service
> regularly and they don't bother me too much. You get used to them if you see
> enough. But they STILL are the among the most challenging pianos to tune.
> It's such a pitty though, because there is no good reason for it.
>
> If you like this kind of product badgering, please email me privately.
> Thanks for the opportunity to sound off!  :-)
>
> BTW, Christopher, where you from?
>
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher Witmer" <cdwitmer@spamcop.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2000 10:26 PM
> Subject: Re: May Their Practice rooms be filled with 1098's
>
> > Okay, as a newbie I don't want to be the only one not in the know:
> > what's so bad about a Steinway 1098? Why don't you like servicing them?
> > Thanks!
> >