I almost tuned ET!

[David Ilvedson]

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to the Baloney Bunch!

David I.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Kevin E. Ramsey RPT
> Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 8:06 PM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: I almost tuned ET!
>
>
>     Look guy, I've been hesitating to write you, but I re-read
> this post and
> had to reply. You have a habit of being obnoxious in your entries to the
> list. Look, I'm an RPT, and I scored 98% on the tuning exam. I know how to
> tune, I do concert tunings every day, I know what a piano is supposed to
> sound like. Maybe not by your definition, but by the rest of the world's.
> Get off you high horse, bud. Yes, I've done historical tunings,
> and they are
> different, but when I tune for a concert, not knowing what keys
> they will be
> played in, I tune ET. Invariably, someone will come out, and play
> in G flat,
> and it sounds beautiful. Also, I use the SAT 11. I use it as a tool,, not
> trusting what it's trying to give me, but using it to more accurately give
> me what I'm after. When I give an institute lecture on how I do this, I'll
> personally invite you, and you can take all the cheap shots that you like.
> I'll have answers for them all.
> Kevin E. Ramsey, R.P.T.
> Phoenix, Arizona
> ramsey@extremezone.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM <Billbrpt@AOL.COM>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 7:43 PM
> Subject: I almost tuned ET!
>
>
> >List, especially Conrad,
> >
> >My last tuning of the day turned out to be an old Knabe Grand that came
> from
> >Salt Lake City.  It was a job I did for Tim Farley's business.  He always
> >wants HT type tuning, preferably 1/7 Comma Meantone but he trusts my
> judgment
> >and accepts EBVT.  I decided to listen to the temperament and to my
> pleasant
> >surprise, it was a passable ET!
> >
> >There was a note on the piano asking for it to be tuned at A-440 but no
> >specified temperament.  The children were home and let me in and
> the man of
> >the house was to be home shortly.  There was Bach's book of Goldberg
> >Variations (all the music has only one sharp and in my opinion, this does
> in
> >no way require ET) on the music desk and under that, there was an old
> tuning
> >hammer and an A fork.
> >
> >I tested the A and it was on pitch.  I listened to the temperament and
> >contrary to my usual finding, it was a nearly flawless ET with no Reverse
> >Well tendencies.  I recorded it in my Exam program and having studied how
> to
> >do that D*** FAC Program, I put it in and tuned the F3-F4 octave.  I then
> >read the results into the Reference page of the Exam program.  There were
> but
> >three small errors that gave the temperament as it was a score of 91.
> >
> >This was the first time in a real long time that I wasn't sure
> what to do.
> I
> >called Mr. Farley and told him the circumstances adding that I really
> didn't
> >know why the piano was being tuned since it was pretty darn good
> the way it
> >was.  I asked if he thought I should go ahead with ET this time and he
> said,
> >"yes".  I hated spoiling an 11 year record of having NEVER tuned ET for
> >anyone for any reason (except PTG Exams).  I dreaded listening to it
> >afterwards but I thought perhaps *this* particular customer might be
> shocked
> >at a different temperament because maybe he knows how to tune the piano
> >himself and didn't know anything about HT's.
> >
> >I had started tuning when he came home.  I talked to him for a
> while about
> >the reasons Farley's technicians don't usually do ET.  He was interested
> and
> >had me start over doing the EBVT.  He gave me a $10 tip and as I left, I
> >heard the strains of the 1st Prelude of Bach's Well-Tempered
> Clavier Music
> >coming from the house.
> >
> >Whew! I nearly spoiled a perfect record of 11 years of
> *unethical* tunings!
> >
> >Believe it, or STUFF it!
> >
> >Bill Bremmer RPT
> >Madison, Wisconsin
> >
>
>