tuning hammer

[Michael Gamble]

Hello Don. 9:00pm here & I've just returned from a Harpsichord tuning
session in the Pit. Only 20 mins available to tune and the auditorium full
of noisy interested punters...  .  Back to the real world of "Dummy Tuning
Pins" I cannot see the point of giving yourself all this extra work when to
replace the pin with the next size up will allow you to do a better (I
think) job. It seems to me that you're getting yourself into problem areas
with the becket if you try and put a pre-formed coil and becket onto an old
pin. I only use the old pin if I have a broken string and have to replace
it. Then I use the "T" hammer to  s l o w l y  undo the old pin before
winding on the new string. If, however, the string breaks at the coil and
there's enough string on the paired pin to unwind and give sufficient
string - then I do that. It is better to use the old matching string if
poss. This becomes difficult on the overstrung pianos when the metals being
"pulled round" are under the bass covered strings. But one adapts you know,
one adapts - Yes?
Michael G