<<Terry, Just out of curiosity, why would the A above middle C be any more important than the A below? Unless you're comparing it to a tuning fork, of course. :-) Avery>> As far i I knew, "A440" is the A ABOVE middle C, NOT below. Terry Peterson ----Original Message Follows---- From: Avery Todd <avery@ev1.net> Reply-To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Subject: Re: If pianos are "swollen" now... then what? Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 17:50:16 -0500 Terry, Just out of curiosity why would the A above middle C be any more important than the A below? Unless you're comparing it to a tuning fork, of course. :-) Avery At 04:02 PM 7/8/04, you wrote: ><<I will get a call to have a piano tuned and am told its been 5 >plus yaears since last tuning, yet the A below middle C is right on >or ne! ar 440. >Julia Gottchall, > Reading, PA>> > >I HOPE you actually meant "A ABOVE middle C", NOT below! > >Terry Peterson > > > > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: Clyde Hollinger &lt;cedel@supernet.com&gt; >Reply-To: Pianotech &lt;pianotech@ptg.org&gt; >To: Pianotech &lt;pianotech@ptg.org&gt; >Subject: Re: If pianos are &quot;swollen&quot; now... then what? >Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 13:18:20 -0400 > >Bob, > >It was good to see you in Nashville. Of course I agree with you >wholeheartedly, whle at the same time I admit that I am not a very >outspoken salesman of PLS systems. I do let first-time clients that >if the piano sounds bad between tunings, then humidity change is the >culprit, and we can deal with that. If established clients remark >about tuning instability, I also let them know their options. I >think I averaged about one system a month during the spring and >early summer this year, which is probably higher than average for >me. > >Regards, >Clyde H. > >Robert J Russell wrote: > >&gt;Hello All, Excellent advice Clyde. You really offer great advice >on >&gt;how to deal with our wonderful humidity changes. The only thing >I >&gt;would add, is that six month tunings over these high swing >periods >&gt;offer a great opportunity to recommend a solution for their >&gt;problems. Piano Life Saver Systems. If your tuning in the fall >and >&gt;spring to avoid these swings, the pianos are going to sound >terrible >&gt;in June through October and January through April. The biggest >&gt;question that we need to ask our customers is how many months >of >&gt;the year do they want their pianos to sound good? >&gt;Great seeing everyone in Nashville, >&gt;Bob Russell, RPT >&gt; >&gt;Clyde Hollinger &lt;cedel@supernet.com&gt; wrote: >&gt; >&gt; Julia, >&gt; >&gt; I do what is called by some &quot;floating the pitch,&quot; >although I >&gt;would >&gt; not do this for a concert where the piano really needs to >be at >&gt;A-440. >&gt; >&gt; My experience is that in this area humidity generally peaks >in >&gt; August and September and hits the lowest usually in >February >&gt;and >&gt; March. So we are on the rise at this point of July. When >I >&gt;sit >&gt; down to tune a piano, I use my RCT to test where the >pitches of >&gt; the As are, from A1 to A6, and sometimes the lowest unwound >&gt; strings also. (If you tune aurally you'll need to use your >own >&gt; system.) >&gt; >&gt; What I do next depends on the season and the situation. If >&gt;I've >&gt; been tuning the piano in July at A-440 for years, but >suddenly >&gt; this year the whole piano is sharp, this is a humidity >&gt; aberration. If I tune it at A-440 again, it is almost a >&gt;certainty >&gt; that next year it will be flat. So I leave it sharp! . >&gt;Obviously >&gt; I keep good records so I can look back and see what has >&gt;happened >&gt; in the past 10-15 years. >&gt; >&gt; I do not like 6-month tunings that swing between high and >low >&gt; humidity seasons. I have a couple customers like that, and >&gt; sometimes I never tune the piano to A-440, leaving it >several >&gt; cents high in the summer and about the same amount low in >the >&gt; winter. That way I'm putting less wear on the pinblock, >and I >&gt; know that somewhere between tunings the piano is on target. >&gt; >&gt; Regards, >&gt; Clyde Hollinger, RPT >&gt; >&gt; Alpha88x@aol.com wrote: >&gt; >&gt;&gt; Greetings, >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; If the pianos are &quot;swollen&quot; >just now >&gt;&gt;(summertime), >&gt;&gt; due to the humid mountanous atmosphere of this part of >&gt;&gt; Pennsylvania, is it OK to tune above A440? >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; I have been tuning for alittle over a >year now. >&gt;&gt;I >&gt;&gt; have found that pianos which the customer tells me >havent been >&gt;&gt; tuned for 5 or more years, are very close to A440, yet >they >&gt;&gt;are >&gt;&gt; terribly out of tune as far as unisons and horribly >flat upper >&gt;&gt; octaves. >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; In other words, I will get a call to >have a >&gt;&gt;piano >&gt;&gt; tuned and am told its been 5 plus yaears since last >tuning, >&gt;&gt;yet >&gt;&gt; the A below middle C is right on or ne! ar 440. Other >pianos I >&gt;&gt;go >&gt;&gt; to, the customer will say it's been 2 years and these >are >&gt;&gt; actually a few beats above A440. >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; I never turn them back to A440, I >figure they >&gt;&gt;are >&gt;&gt; swelled right now, and if I turn them down to 440 now, >then, >&gt;&gt;when >&gt;&gt; the summer is over they will go below 440 when the heat >goes >&gt;&gt;on. >&gt;&gt; Last summer, I had my first few tunings and I turned >pianos >&gt;&gt;back >&gt;&gt; down to 440 and I was wondering if my fork was >off...This year >&gt;&gt;I >&gt;&gt; figured it out. I think I am correct, but I want to be >sure on >&gt;&gt;this. >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; This year, (with my whole whopping 16 >months >&gt;&gt; expertise) If I go into a situation and its a few >beats above >&gt;&gt; 440 I tune it right there. In fact, if the customer >doesnt >&gt;&gt;have >&gt;&gt; a dehumidifer or ar conditioning, I even pull the piano >up a >&gt;&gt;bit >&gt;&gt; to be alittle above A440. Pianos &quot;should&quot; be >s! harp just now, >&gt;&gt; right? How am I on this? Am I figuring OK on this? >&gt;&gt; >&gt;&gt; Thanks >&gt;&gt; Julia Gottchall, >&gt;&gt; Reading, PA >&gt; ><> > >_________________________________________________________________ >Check out the latest news, polls and tools in the MSN 2004 Election >Guide! http://special.msn.com/msn/election2004.armx > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _________________________________________________________________ MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page – FREE download! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/
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