tuning lever tips

[Charles E. Faulk]

Greg and list,

I can understand some disdain over many of the commercial tuning tips
available on the market today. I thought I might relate some of my
experiences buying multiple tips over the years.

A little more than three years ago, I started buying tips in lots of ten
hoping to come up with a few I could use. Back then I was buying APSCO
tips (#2's). I would average about four usable tips out of each lot.
About a year and a half I got in a lot and had to send them all back;
they wobbled and tilted so badly I couldn't tune at all with them.
Ironically after I spoke to John Schadler , he replaced them all with
Schaff #2 tips!

So then I started buying Schaff #3's ... ten at a time. Again I could
count on finding maybe three or four usable tips per lot. Kind of
expensive way to go but necessary. Just last Wednesday I got in a set of
four Schaff tips and ,much to my surprise, all four were keepers. I
genuinely hope it was more than luck.

I purchased only one Wantanabe tip a few years ago. The opening was so
small it hardly covered the tuning pin half way to the becket. It also
wobbled and tilted badly.  I sent it back. One is not a very good sample,
and I understand others use them with success.

By the way  the only way I've found to accurately test a tuning tip is to
put it on a lever and sample at least a dozen tuning pins on a given
piano (usually whatever I'm rebuilding at the time).  It will come as no
surprise to anyone that tuning pins are even more inconsistent than
tuning tips. My ideal of a good tuning tip is no side play and no
tilting; I have a few that come close including some older Hale tips I
guard carefully.

Finding quality tuning lever tips is an ongoing problem, something I wish
the supply industry would tackle. I'd gladly pay three or four times the
price if the tips would work. I'd love to get in touch with this German
supplier, SOLE. Anyone have an address?

Just a few thoughts.

Charles Faulk

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