Unisons - how clean?

[Tom Cole]

John,

Every piano is different, every note is different, every string is
different, every tuner, customer, climate... within the parameters
you've given, there are all these factors to consider and it's a
judgment call. You get a feel for how long it takes you to tune a piano
at different levels of perfection and you intuitively budget your time
per string based on that sense.

Of course, a concert tuning is where maximum time may be spent getting
the best unisons (along with extra attention spent on stability and
clearing up false beats). But in your example, I wouldn't be quite as
persnickety. If I relax my fussiness even a slight amount, I can work
significantly more quickly and the results will still be very
acceptable. If there are strings with false beats, the player is
probably accustomed to the fact so just accept it as part of the
character of the instrument. 

I hasten to add that it's difficult to do anything less than the best
tuning possible, especially in the earlier years when you're sharpening
your skills on everything that comes your way. But gradually you discern
that elusive Point of Diminishing Returns by adjusting, up and down,
your own expectations of tuning quality. For example, the PDR of a
Steinway D is very different from that of a Betsy Ross spinet. The
Steinway will respond well to a second go around but the Betsy Ross will
just be a waste of your time if you give it much beyond a 45-minute tuning.

Therefore, it is the piano that limits the degree to which you can
achieve "perfect" unisons, given well-developed tuning skills. In a
one-hour tuning, you don't have time to level strings, file hammers,
etc., but you can give it a solid tuning. If the customer is not happy
with how their piano sounds, then you can talk to him/her about
additional work (or a better piano). 

Tom Cole
mailto:tcole@cruzio.com

"Woodrow, John (Parramatta)" wrote:
> 
> List,
> Situation: A home tuning, on an average quality upright, aiming to be
> completed in 1 hour.  Piano tuned every 12 months.
> 
> We probably mostly agree that the goal should be to tune razor sharp perfect
> unisons.  I say mostly because I have seen it mentioned here than some
> believe that unisons should not be razor sharp but have some 'depth'.
> Anyhow, leaving that debate to one side, for the home tuning situation
> described, I am interested in what others consider to be a definition of
> acceptable unisons.
> 
> Do you consider anything less than perfect unisons unacceptable, or do you
> consider that while perfection is the goal, the situation, cost and time
> dictates that something less than concert level perfection is acceptable
> from a customer perspective.  If less than perfect is acceptable, how would
> you define that standard?
> 
> This is not a customer problem, just evaluating my own standards.
> Appreciate opinions.
> 
> Regards,
> John Woodrow ICPTG
>