I'm stopping by for a few days with this question. Just how loud can a piano become? I have a book which says an airplane taking off will reach 140 decibels, a rock concert 120 and a snowmobile 110. Last week I was tuning this magnificent old Heintzman upright fitted with new hammers and with a very brilliant tone. It sat in a bit of an alcove in a corner of the living room so the booming sound had little room to escape except past my ears. Suddenly, in around the sixth octave, I felt this wierd sensation in my right ear. It's hard to describe because it wasn't really pain. Moving or tilting my head allowed me to diminish the discomfort and complete the day's work. When I think about it, I can only best describe the sensation by saying that my right ear feels somewhat heavy, even today, nine days later. After 37 years of tuning, I'm now going for ear plugs and I've read the archives as well. But nowhere can I find reference as to how many decibels it took for me to experience this discomfort. John Lillico, RPT Oakville, Ontario
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