Strip muting methods

[Michel Lachance]

Terry,

The idea of saving time with strip muting is to reduce any manipulation as 
much as possible.

Stripping the bicord is not a big deal.  On most pianos, you have a that 
kind of pattern where the pins sort of group by set of four.  It is so that 
when you strip, you do the first pass by tuning the group of two pins that 
are farther to each other, and second pass by tuning the group of two pins 
that are next to the other - or the other way around.

I try to do the same with the tenor section.  I use two strip mutes, put 
each one every two tricord, up to the point the space doesn't allow more 
than one.  On the first pass, I tune all the center pins.  Then I take off a 
strip and tune the unmuted strings that always happen to be on the same 
pattern (pins that are either farther or nearer to each other by sets of two 
tricords), and on the third pass I take off the other strip and tune by the 
other pattern.  Easier to show than to explain...

The best way I found for the dampered treble section is a modified wire mute 
where I made a split on one side.  I first insert the small wedge between 
the second and the third string, tune, pull it a bit and put it back 
immediately to free the second string.  Again, easier to show...

For pitch raise tuning (which I do most of the time...), I use a single 
strip and tune bottom up, unisons as you go.

Michel Lachance, RPT

>Ok...now about strip muting. I know there are lots of methods out there, 
>but I am trying to improve my speed and efficiency in the process. I get 
>hung up when on the way back down, the hi treble dampers get in the way of 
>the mute strip as i pull it little by little to tune each outside 
>string...so I usually just take it out completely in this area, (being 
>careful, having pushed the felt down between the dampers and the strings)  
>and use a wedge, although it's more time consuming. I'd be interested in 
>hearing any time saving tips on strip muting, (I know techniques were 
>discussed in a recent thread) and I usually do not strip out the bichord 
>unisons; I still get a bit confused when I try strip muting them, and it 
>slows me down too much. .I tune these using a felt wedge...it goes pretty 
>fast.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Terry Peterson
>
>
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