RUBBER MUTES

Andrew and Rebeca Anderson anrebe@sbcglobal.net
Wed, 04 Jan 2006 20:24:24 -0600


Marshall,
Remember when you are pitch correcting you are adding tension to the 
plate, measured in tens of pounds per string, maybe ton(s) per 
piano.   Pianos are designed to have down-bearing.  That is, each 
string presses down on that 1/4" thick but ribbed sound-board through 
the bridge.  When you pull one string all the way back up to tension, 
guess what happens to its neighbors.  They go flat as they have less 
tension to hold down.  When you tune across a piano you are pushing a 
wave across the sound-board.
Those of us with ETDs figure 10-16% over-pull in the wound strings, 
20-28% over-pull in the tenor, 25-38% over-pull in the high 
treble.  When we are done with the re-tensioning pass we check out 
how close everything settled.  My estimates are getting better now 
and usually it all settles pretty close.
When over-pulling aurally you will use the beats above correct pitch 
to guestimate your over-pull.  Figure four cents per beat at A4, less 
lower and more higher.  New pianos with new un-stretched strings are 
quite ungrateful, they'll loose your tuning faster than that old 
piano that you bring up to pitch.  Unless, of-course, the pin-block 
was too loose to hold the tuning pins at tension.  I've had a couple 
of those, definite CA glue candidates.

Have fun,
Andrew Anderson



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC