Strip Muting/unisons

[Paul]

Dale
I switched to action cloth several years ago and it took me awhile to come
with the right thicknesses. I use Schaff #316 (.139") action cloth in the
bass and upper treble and Pianotek #FBR-145 (.145") backrail cloth for the
center/temperment octaves. The backrail cloth is more "springy" and seems to
work more efficiently in the center, but a little too thick for bass and
upper treble. They are much more durable and consistant in thickness, so I
know what  I'm getting when I order replacements.

Paul Chick
Plainview MN


----- Original Message -----
From: Ward & Probst <wardprobst@cst.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 3:19 PM
Subject: RE: Strip Muting/unisons


> Graeme,
> I have used action cloth(also called sticker cloth) for mute strips for
> years and find it wears and mutes well. Available in various widths &
> thickness, I mostly use a medium thickness torn on a taper, one piece for
> the tenor the other in the bass. I have a 3/8 strip for the treble. Covers
> most verticals & grands that I service. Particularly valuable when tuning
> players.
> Best,
> Dale
> Dale Probst, RPT
> Institute Director, TEAM2000
> PTG Annual Convention
> Arlington, VA--July 5-9,2000
> wardprobst@cst.net
> (940)691-3682 voice
> (940) 691-6843 fax
> TEAM2000 website: http://www.equaltemperament.com/PTG/
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Graeme Harvey
> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 2:02 PM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Strip Muting/unisons
>
>
> Hi Roger,
>
> Thanks for the detail. I can now picture exactly what you're describing.
> I'll give this method a try when next have a spare moment to experiment a
> little.
> The strips I've been using are basically cushion felt cut from a large
sheet
> (which is how I buy most of my felt) but I wonder if there is a better
> material for this. I've not really had any problems with leakage except
> where string spacing between notes is excessive.
>
> Cheers
> Graeme Harvey
> New Plymouth NZ
>
> > Graeme,
> >
> > I use three strips.  The newest felt  in the temperment area.  Stuffed
> > between every unison.    !!! felt !!! felt !!! felt !!!  etc . (BTW if
> > you're having trouble setting temperment, try a new felt.),  the second
> > newest in the high treble above the break, making neat short loops and
> > sliding them behind the dampers, (tough in some pianos).  And the third
> > most worn strip in the bass, (closer strings, thinner felt). Then I set
> > temperment, and octaves chromatically into the treble, tuning all middle
> > strings.  Next to the bass, tuning chromatically whatever single string
> > is singing.  (You'll catch on to the pattern in the tuning pins of
> > singing stings quickly.)
> >
> > Then I pull out all the felts, yes, all the felts!!  And stuff the mid
> > section felts back in, this time between every other unison.  For
example
> >   !!! felt  !!!  !!! felt !!!  !!! felt  !!!   etc.  This is where I use
> > whole steps, in tuning the unisons, and where it seems to go very
> > quickly.  You'll notice that the available pins/strings needing tuning
> > are in a straight line.  I do the top set of pins in whole steps to the
> > top.  Then the bottom set.
> >
> > Then I go to the bass, and tune down, using whole steps again, and again
> > you'll notice the pins needing tuning are often in a straight line.
Then
> > I 'turn the corner' and tune the rest of the bass strings coming back
up.
> >
> > Next, I pull out the temperment strips and tune the other available
> > strings in whole steps, also in a straight line.
> >
> > I have had only to use rubber mutes three times, at the breaks and on
the
> > top C.  (And of course for checking and tweaking.)
> >
> > I tried pulling out the felts and tuning one side of each unison, and
> > lost time because it was extra motion, plus it has to be done
> > chromatically.
> >
> > I found by taking the time to stuff the felts back in again at every
> > other unison I save a lot of motion.
> >
> > I originally had learned to tune by moving the rubber mutes around, and
> > found the tedium driving me crazy.  With the felts and this method I can
> > leave my hands at their work, not reaching for mutes or felts, just
tune,
> > tune, tune.
> >
> > I once did a quite satisfactory fine tuning in 17 minutes.  (A very
> > friendly Baldwin spinet, but I don't think it would have passed the
> > exam...)  My fine tunings average 35 to 55 minutes,  for which I charge
> > $65.00.  I used this tuning sequence method for my RPT tuning exam and
> > scored very high.  (two points short of CTE score, and some 100's)
> >
> > My pitch raises, including putting in the felts, average 13 to 15
> > minutes. (For which I charge $35.00)
> >
> > (BTW, felting grands can be done just once with four felts, and going
> > into every other unison alternating your felts.  Tune all middle strings
> > and singles, pull out one set of felts, tune a set of unisons, pull out
> > the other set of felts, and finish the unisons.)
> >
> > Roger Hayden, RPT
> >
> > On Thu, 27 Jan 2000 22:18:43 +1300 "Graeme Harvey"
> > <gharvey@netsource.co.nz> writes:
> > > Roger,
> > > I've just come in on this thread, somehow missed the start.
> > > How do you strip mute the treble section? Do you slip the action
> > > forward or
> > > what? I strip up to about C5 (52) at which point I run out of space
> > > above
> > > the hammerline. I'm just curious. I was taught by two tuners in the
> > > workshop
> > > I spent my early years in, one used single mute and the other strip
> > > muted
> > > the temperament only.
> > > These days I strip mute down to last bichord.
> > >
> > > Of course there isn't any reason why using your method you could fit
> > > both
> > > strips simultaneously, (below the hammer / damper line above say A4
> > > ) tune
> > > the centre strings, then simply pull out one strip leaving the other
> > > in
> > > place covering every other outside string. This makes sense only if
> > > you are
> > > removing the action to mute in the first place.
> > >
> > > Graeme Harvey
> > > New Plymouth NZ
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Roger C Hayden <rchayden2@juno.com>
> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > > Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 7:37 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Strip Muting/unisons
> > >
> > >
> > > > I like strip muting and whole step tuning, too.  I discovered it
> > > while
> > > > doing time/motion studies on the fastest method of tuning (for
> > > me).  The
> > > > stop watch told me what was quicker.
> > > > Strip muting the whole piano, leaving the middle string singing,
> > > and then
> > > > tuning all them I found quick.
> > > >
> > > > Then strip muting again every other unison, leaving the middle
> > > string and
> > > > one outside (out of tune) string singing let me set these strings
> > > in
> > > > next, doing them by whole steps, because getting to the end of
> > > several
> > > > short trips seems psychologically so much easier than one long
> > > tedious
> > > > trip.
> > > >
> > > > Then I pull the strip out and tune the other set of outside
> > > strings,
> > > > again working in whole steps.  I found this much faster, because I
> > > can
> > > > strip mute a whole piano in under two minutes, which doesn't
> > > compare with
> > > > handling a rubber mute upwards of 200 times.
> > > >
> > > > And I agree that whole steps seem to keep the ear fresher, and
> > > when in
> > > > the treble undampered strings, a note that continues to sustain a
> > > whole
> > > > step away from where you are now tuning doesn't seem to interfere
> > > as
> > > > much.
> > > >
> > > > The psychological element of whole step tuning is critical.  I,
> > > too
> > > > average five tunings a day, have done seven tunings many times,
> > > and a
> > > > couple of days, ten.  Chromatic scales are very intense to listen
> > > to.  Ed
> > > > Pettingill, who taught me much twenty years ago, found tuning to
> > > be very
> > > > nerve racking.  I do not.  Ed used rubber mutes and chromatic
> > > sequencing.
> > > > (Of course he's also a violist.)
> > > >
> > > > Roger Hayden, RPT
> > > >
> > >
> >
>