stability of pitch raises

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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       Yes, by going over it twice, you really do help the stability, =
especially if you get it REALLY close the first time. However, what it =
really think is happening with your customers here is that after that =
long a time without having their pianos tuned, they probably don't have =
the ear for minor out-of-tuneness that they would if they had had their =
pianos maintained more frequently.
    If the piano is as flat as you say, I would go ahead and schedule a =
second tuning at the end of the first tuning session, for say two or =
three weeks later.
    I remember when I was in my first year, I did a couple pianos that =
were 120 cents flat or so. I told the customers that I would be calling =
them in two or three months for a follow-up tuning, which the piano =
would need by then. Neither of them wanted the second tuning, because =
they both said the piano still "sounded fine", when I knew that it =
probably sounded really pretty bad.=20
    There are just people out there who get their pianos tuned once =
every ten years, "Whether it needs it, or not." I now charge them as =
though I might not see them for another ten years, which is my full =
hourly rate evened up to the nearest higher half-hour. I also give them =
the technical bulletin on pitch raising to insure that they understand =
what I'm doing and why.


  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Jon Page=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 4:09 AM
  Subject: Re: stability of pitch raises


  At 09:56 PM 08/29/2001 -0400, you wrote:

    I do all my pitch raises using RCT, so I end up very close to pitch =
after the=20
    first pass.  If the piano is 50 cents flat or more, I have always =
warned the=20
    client that a pitch-raised tuning is a less stable tuning, and that =
their=20
    piano may need another tuning in 3 or 4 months.   Rarely do they =
actually=20
    call me in 3 months.  Most often I come back in a year...OR TWO, and =
I am=20
    usually surprised at how well the piano has stayed in tune.  Not =
that the=20
    piano doesn't need a tuning, but it's tolerable enough that I can =
understand=20
    why I haven't been called back sooner.  I suppose it's possible that =
the=20
    piano did all its drifting in the first 3 months, and just stayed =
there, but=20
    I'm starting to wonder about the conventional wisdom that a =
pitch-raised=20
    tuning is less stable. =20

    Could it be that the use of the RCT negates the instability issue by =
virtue=20
    of getting the piano so close to pitch after the first pass?

    Any thoughts?

    Tom Sivak=20

  If the piano is more than 8 cents off pitch it should be tuned a =
second time that day
  to even off the tension. Just think how well the piano will sound a =
few years later...

  Regards,
  Jon Page,   piano technician
  Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
  mailto:jon.page@verizon.net
  http://www.stanwoodpiano.com
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=20

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