Impact Tuning Lever

[Michael Gamble]

Hello William and List
As a left handed tuner I find it very easy to control the lever on an 
upright. I use the fingers of my left hand against the top of the pin block, 
and the lever in the thumb joint, to help inch up the lever. I go for the 
ten o'clock position. In grands I always use a "T" hammer. But I haven't one 
of those "impact hammers". Can't get them here. The principle sounds 
interesting though.
Regards
Michael G.(UK)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William R. Monroe" <pianotech@a440piano.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: Impact Tuning Lever


> Alan,
>
> I do think ambidextrous tuning is a good practice, for many reasons.  That
> said, however, I must respectfully say that I think all any technician 
> needs
> is properly developed technique.  Tuning right or left handed should make 
> no
> difference so long as the technician compensates for the physics of the
> hammer position, movement, etc.
>
> Sometimes, this is a conscious process; e.g. while tuning right handed on 
> a
> vertical, we understand that pulling the pin down a bit will result in a
> (relatively) higher pitch when released - all other things being equal - 
> so
> we compensate by not pulling above pitch as much prior to setting.  This 
> is
> a bit oversimplified, but I think you get the idea.  I would expect that
> mostly it is subconscious.  Whichever hand anyone uses to tune is
> irrelevant.  It is my position that knowing how the piano responds to your
> particular tuning technique IS relevant and is what makes for a good 
> tuning.
> An ambidextrous technician should be equally capable of tuning grands or
> uprights with either hand, in my opinion.
>
> William R. Monroe
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Alan Forsyth" <alanforsyth@fortune4.fsnet.co.uk>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 1:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Impact Tuning Lever
>
>
> " I also like your idea of using pitch raises to get used to left-handed
> work. I don't really have the time to try and fine-tune with my left just
> yet.
> Good news!
> -holly" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>
> Don't know about you guys but we were taught to be ambidextrous from day
> one. Left handed for uprights and right handed for grands. The main idea 
> is
> that it automatically compensates for tuning pin setting. When using your
> left arm to tune an upright, the pin would tend to move upwards (because 
> you
> would be pushing up from underneath) and then settle back down. If you 
> used
> your right arm, you would tend to pull down on the pin. Visa versa with
> grands.
>
> AF
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: ilex cameron ross
>  To: Pianotech
>  Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 2:44 PM
>  Subject: RE: Impact Tuning Lever
>
>
>  Thanks for sharing, Terry - this is really good to hear. I'm only in my
> early 30s and due to a combination of tuning and a really really stupid 
> fall
> a couple of years ago, I have pretty consistent problems with my tuning
> wrist. Not to mention the weekly chiro visits for just general back and
> shoulder crap. Anymore I absolutely have to wear a wrist brace when 
> tuning,
> and I have been pondering the investment of an impact lever. I also like
> your idea of using pitch raises to get used to left-handed work. I don't
> really have the time to try and fine-tune with my left just yet.
>  Good news!
>  -holly
>    -----Original Message-----
>    From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On
> Behalf Of Terry
>    Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 5:54 AM
>    To: pianotech@ptg.org
>    Subject: Impact Tuning Lever
>
>
>    A while ago I posted questions regarding purchase of an impact tuning
> lever. I've been using it for a few months now and just thought I would
> report in.
>
>    For a couple years now I have been rastling with some kind of
> torn/strained muscle/tendon in my shoulder (thanks to a Boston studio & a
> 1098 on the same day) and tendonitis in the elbow - both in my tuning arm.
> It had gotten to the point where I had walked away from several service
> appointments because I knew tuning that piano would put me out of work for
> some weeks.
>
>    I've been using the impact lever for pitch raises on all vertical 
> pianos
> unless they have very low-torque tuning pins. I use my trusty 
> Renner/Bowman
> lever for tuning verticals and everything on grands. I pitch-raised 
> Kimball
> and Baldwin consoles yesterday - both were raised more than 100 cents - 
> they
> both got two pitch-raise passes and then a tuning pass. Both these pianos
> had excessively tight tuning pins - easily around 200+ in-lbs. I used the
> impact lever for these four pitch-raise passes and I have no arm pain 
> today
> at all. The impact lever seems to have saved me!
>
>    I impact the bass with my left hand and the rest of the scale with my
> right - I'm trying to train myself to become ambidextrous with the impact
> lever - again, in case I wreck an arm at some point I could keep tuning. I
> can see that it will take quite a bit of practice to become good at fine
> tuning with the impact lever, but I think using it for all vertical pitch
> raises will eventually get me to the point where I can start attempting
> using the impact lever for fine tuning - I would like to get to the point
> where I can use it for all vertical tuning.
>
>    Bottom line: the impact lever has saved my arm, avoided interruptions 
> in
> income, and will likely extend my tuning career (unless soundboard
> manufacturing can save me from the spinet devils!). I am very happy I have
> started using this great tool!
>
>    Terry Farrell
>
>
>