Tuning lever heads

[Farrell]

I agree that it makes sense to keep the hammer head as compact as is
possible. But once-in-a-while I need to put a longer tip on mine. Whenever I
do, and then I am able to go back to the shorter one, I get this feeling of
"boy, the taller tip felt nice - I wonder if I should use it again, even if
I don't really need it?" I guess my point is, if it feels good, and you get
good tuning results - who cares what logic says - if a six-inch tip works
and feels good, then do it!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2001 8:14 AM
Subject: Tuning lever heads


> Friends,
>
> I'd like to take this discussion a different direction.  As I admitted
> recently, I am a left-handed tuner.  When I am tuning a grand piano, my
> preferred position of the tuning hammer is about 5:00, which brings the
handle
> out over the front top edge of the grand piano.  On verticals I use a 1
1/2"
> tuning lever head whenever possible, but I also carry a 3" head which I
use on
> grands and sometimes on verticals where the short head won't work.
>
> But even that doesn't work on a 1993 Kawai GM-1 grand.  That front piece
(front
> beam, stretcher?) is simply too high.  Positioning the hammer at 3:00
would
> have worked, I suppose, but the twist in my back felt uncomfortable at
best and
> unhealthy at worst.  I found out that piece was purely cosmetic and by
removing
> four screws the whole thing simply lifted off, so that's what I've been
doing
> with that piano ever since.  I told the client what she needs is a
right-handed
> tuner, but chances are she'll stick with me.  I think she likes me (in a
> strictly platonic way -- now don't go getting the wrong idea).
>
> Somewhere along the line I picked up the idea that the shorter the tuning
lever
> head, the better, so I am hesitant to buy a 4", 5" or 6" head, especially
when
> I need it for only one piano.  Advice, anyone?
>
> Regards,
> Clyde Hollinger, RPT
> Lititz, PA, USA
>
> kam544@flash.net wrote:
>
> > However, my weapon of choice is a 6 1/2" tuning lever head & tip I put
on
> > for situations where space is at a premium.  Have dealt with this for
years
> > at the university I service, as well as a few other choice locations.
> > Clears all grand rims to date.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Keith McGavern
>