Tuning Levers

[John Musselwhite]

At 09:49 AM 12/29/04 -0500, Matthew wrote:


>This is my first post to the list serve so please be merciful. :-)

Welcome to the list!

>I will be purchasing a new tuning hammer soon as my old lever has seen 
>quite a bit of wear and tear. I am curious as to the different styles of 
>hammers you all use and if you have any recommendations as to tuning 
>levers that have stood the test of time and ones that may not be quite as 
>good as they were advertised.

I use a "Wonderwand" style lever made by Mike Swendsen and I think sold by 
Joe Goss. It has a custom-made hardwood "ball" on one end shaped to fit my 
hand so it's very comfortable. If I was to purchase a new tuning lever I'd 
probably go with a titanium one from Charles Faulk (www.faulkpiano.com). 
They are well-made, extremely light and well-balanced.

>Do some of you carry multiple tuning hammers depending on the piano you 
>come across? Say, a heavier hammer for pitch raises and then switch to a 
>lighter one for more precision work?

Not me... just the wonderwand. I do carry three different tips for it 
though. One REAL short tip for everyday use, one a little longer for 
uprights with a lip over the pins and a fairly long one for grands. While 
some people say that the long tip tends to bend pins, I've been using it 
for over 20 years and haven't had a problem with it.

I also have a very old Hale hammer I inherited from my father, who 
inherited it from his father, but I find the Wonderwand to be more 
comfortable and I wouldn't be sad if it ever got lost.

            John Musselwhite, RPT