Let's Get This Settled was How to explain a pitch adjustment..and!

[David Love]

My experience says it doesn't matter.  Once you correct the pitch and do a
fine tuning, all other things remaining constant, the piano will stay in
tune.  The piano doesn't really settle.  Moving the piano cross country may
challenge the piano in terms of EMC but nothing more.  An upright can go out
of tune with a move across the room because the four point weight bearing
can tweak the stresses in the case a bit if the floor is not exactly level.
The three point weight bearing of a grand makes it immune to such problems.

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Alan Barnard
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 8:25 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Let's Get This Settled was How to explain a pitch adjustment..and!

Terry's post begs the question (and please understand I ain't challingin'
nobody on nuttin' ... I'm just seeking information and opinions and
science, here) ...

Do a piano really need time to "settle" after ..

1. Big pitch change?
2. Small pitch change?
3. Moving it across country? (other than environmental acclimation)
4  Moving it across the room?

I have been under the impression--and it may be altogether wacky--that
every change that is going to occur in the piano occurs immediatly upon
cranking the pin. I thought someone (Dr. Sanderson, perhaps) tested this
and proved it.

So an adjunct question: Let's say we find a piano 15 cents flat. We pitch
correct and fine tune and walk out the door with a follow-up appointment
set for three months. When that day arrives, for those who have set such
appointments, is the piano any flatter or more sour than it would have been
if we found it A440 but still came back in three months?

Same question, only now the piano was originally 35 cents flat. 60 cents?
120 cents?

Certainly I've restrung pianos and found them pretty sick in a couple of
months but have always attributed that to new wire stretch, not tension
settling.

Helmet on, raincoat on, rubber duckie in hand, I await your missives, if
not missiles ...

Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri


> [Original Message]
> From: pianolover 88 <pianolover88@hotmail.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 12/20/2005 6:24:24 PM
> Subject: Re: How to explain a pitch adjustment..and!
>
> Depending on the amount of PR, ususally more than 12C, I always schedule
a 
> "follow-up" tuning in 1-3 months, explaining that after restoring all
that 
> loststring tension, the piano now must "settle" and adjust to that added 
> tension, and it some shifting of will occur. So the follow-up is crucial
in 
> building long term stabilty. And that tuning will leave the piano much
more 
> stable because tuning pin movement will be much smaller than during the 
> initial PR and tuning. Again, never a problem. Yes, it does help to have
a 
> high confidence level and be able to effectively communicate and impart 
> information to your client in a clearand concice manner. I am a salesman
as 
> well as a technician; that has made the difference between just getting
by 
> to making a six figures.
>
> Terry Peterson


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