Friends, I'm back after a two-week vacation to the Canadian Maritime provinces. Nice trip! One of my tuning jobs today was a Kawai UST-8 with a complete Dampp-Chaser system, a piano I've been tuning annually since 1995, in an elementary school. Even though the system seemed to be working properly (the dehumidifier was cranking out the heat), the tenor plain strings were up to 11c sharp, making a pretty nasty sounding piano -- before I tuned it, of course! Here's my two best guesses why this was so. Either the piano was unplugged all summer and recently plugged in, or the tank got empty and was just recently filled. The teacher wasn't there for me to ask. Both would have the same effect, methinks. Long shot guesses would be that it's just been too humid for the piano to keep after, or that the system isn't working properly. Thoughts? Personal notes: I developed tendonitis in my tuning lever shoulder two weeks before vacation. I didn't go to the doctor, since I thought it would have time to heal while vacationing. It didn't. This morning I tore a muscle in my right leg calf, which hurt pretty much, so I went to the doctor and we discussed both problems. He wants me on crutches, but we can't do that because of the shoulder, so I hobble pretty badly as I walk. I'll be starting physical therapy for the shoulder later this week. All while trying to do four weeks' worth of tuning in two! Fun, fun! Regards, Clyde Hollinger, RPT
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