Tuning a concert piano with humidity control

John Ross jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
Sun, 06 Mar 2005 15:58:38 -0400


Has 'Thump" changed his name. LOL
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan" <tune4u@earthlink.net>
To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 3:45 PM
Subject: RE: Tuning a concert piano with humidity control


> 1. The undercover material, I am 99% sure, is speaker cloth. I don't 
> think
> anyone would notice a difference in tone or volume.
>
> 2. You can put an undercover on a piano with low-slung tank by putting a
> couple of the Velcro stips on the tank sides and adjusting for that extra
> dimension with you cut the cloth. Alternatively, I've considered having a
> tank-shaped cutout in the cloth and let the tank hang through. That might 
> be
> the neatest and easiest way to do it--maybe with flaps of the material
> hanging down loosely, on each side, to cover the area between the top of 
> the
> tank and the rest of the undercover. Wouldn't that work? Sure seems like 
> it
> would.
>
> Other than the light-heat issues that will affect any piano regardless of
> the humidity control system, keeping the underside of the piano, at least,
> stabilized as to humidity will surely help.
>
> It's kind of scary to think of it this way, but if 200 people come to a
> concert there will be 200+ 98.6 degree heat-radiating high-output
> humidifiers going full blast in that room--beginning maybe a half-hour
> before the show. And let's not even talk about the obnoxious and toxic 
> fumes
> eminating from those same humidifing systems: hydrogen sulfide, carbon
> dioxide, salami and onions, etc!
>
> Alan R. Barnard
> Still Smilin' in Salem, MO
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Jerry Cohen
> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 10:18 AM
> To: 'Pianotech'
> Subject: RE: Tuning a concert piano with humidity control
>
>
> Thanks for the reply, Don.
>
> The piano will be a Bosie 225 (7' 4"). The piano has not been delivered 
> yet,
> so I am trying to think ahead.
>
> This piano requires a dual tank system, and because of the complex beam
> structure, the tanks must be mounted below the beams. Actually, one of the
> tanks would just fit, but the other just misses. Therefore a bottom cover 
> is
> not an option. That is why I am requesting a custom floor length cover.
>
> With no bottom cover, does it make sense to keep it plugged in during the
> concert? They do mostly chamber music, so the piano gets repositioned
> depending on the number of instrumentalists for each work.
>
> With all this in mind, what is the best timing sequence for removing the
> cover and tuning?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jerry Cohen, RPT
> NJ Chapter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Don
> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:58 AM
> To: Pianotech
> Subject: Re: Tuning a concert piano with humidity control
>
> Hi,
>
> I would arrange for it to stay plugged in during the concert, or else add 
> an
> uninteruptible power supply (like the ones for computers) to it.
>
> I'd add a bottom cover to the piano immediately. I recently measured a 
> 5'10"
> (175 cm) grand. Room was 16% and humidity at the controller above the 
> beams
> was 18%. This was in a classroom so there was no lighting to deal with. As 
> a
> bonus, the instrument will also look esthetically more pleasing with a
> bottom cover.
>
> In an ideal world the piano would be under performance conditions (full
> stage lights etc) for 8 hours before the tuning began.
>
> At 10:32 PM 3/5/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>>
>>
>>If a Dampp-chaser system is installed in a piano that is only used for
>>concerts, what is the best schedule to observe for unplugging the
>>Dampp-Chaser, moving the piano on stage, and tuning?
>>
>>Here is the problem I see. The Dampp-Chaser will maintain the piano at
>>a fairly constant humidity, especially with a floor length cover over
>>the piano. But when the piano goes on stage, the lid is raised, and the
>>lights are on, the humidity as well as the temperature will change. I
>>understand that the effect of temperature change, especially from the
>>lights striking the strings is almost immediate, while the plate takes
>>longer to warm up. The effect from the humidity change is much slower
>>since wood takes longer to change its moisture content.
>>
>>As a practical matter, how soon before the concert should the
>>Dampp-Chaser be disconnected, and the piano moved on stage? And when
>>should it be tuned?
>>
>>Looking forward to your responses.
>>
>>Jerry Cohen, RPT
>>NJ Chapter
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>>
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>>
>>
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
> Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat
>
> mailto:pianotuna@yahoo.com http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/
>
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> 306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner
>
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