Strip Muting/unisons

Michel Lachance michel_lachance@hotmail.com
Thu, 17 Feb 2000 15:24:07 EST


Simple:  put two strips, tune 25 pins non stop, take one off, tune 25 pins 
non stop, take the other off, tune the other pins non-stop.

Michel Lachance, RPT

>O.K.
>
>the purpose of this "every other unison stripping" seems to elude me.  Why
>would one do that as opposed to just using one strip and do all the unisons
>with that.

>Is it because the strip doesn´t bulge as much or to get a resemblance of
>the order  of tuning pins in the bass?
>
>Please help the feeble-minded!
>
>Kristinn Leifsson
>Reykjavík, Iceland
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 09:57 17.2.2000 -0600, you wrote:
> >This was at the last convention.  Tech from New York taught it. Sorry, 
>name
> >escapes me.  Nice guy.  I missed the class, got a handout.  Use the
> >technique.  Works great.  Rather than 2 strips, you can just pull every
> >other one out with tweezers.  It's sped me up alot!!!  Best raise in pay
> >I've had in a while....
> >
> >Lance Lafargue, RPT
> >Mandeville, LA
> >New Orleans Chapter
> >lafargue@iamerica.net
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> >Of David ilvedson
> >Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 1:07 AM
> >To: pianotech@ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: Strip Muting/unisons
> >
> >
> >Roger,
> >
> >Some years ago Ron Berry did a class at a national
> >convention where he gave a tip on temp strips.  He suggested
> >using one strip to do every other unison and another to do the
> >whats left...
> >... strip1...strip2...strip1...strip2...strip1...etc.  When the
> >middle strings he simply pulled out one strip which left...
> >strip2...     ...strip2...   ...strip2...   ...strip2... This enabled you
> >to tune the right string of one unison then the left the next,
> >right of the next, left of the next etc.  I always thought this was
> >a very cool way to strip mute.
> >
> >David Ilvedson, RPT
> >
> >To:             	pianotech@ptg.org
> >Date sent:      	Mon, 31 Jan 2000 21:58:36 -0800
> >Subject:        	Re: Strip Muting/unisons
> >From:           	Roger C Hayden <rchayden2@juno.com>
> >Send reply to:  	pianotech@ptg.org
> >
> >> 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
> >> > >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
> >David Ilvedson, RPT
> >Pacifica, CA
> >ilvey@jps.net
> >
> >
> >
>

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