Birdcage primer

[David Boyce]

Robert, you mentioned

"I approach the tuning by removing the action & mute all the  piano to one 
string, replace the action, tune the hole piano to one string, pull the 
action forward, remove the mute to leave the piano with two strings open, 
replace the action & tune all open unisons, pull the action forward, remove 
all mute, replace the action, tune the rest of the unisons, with the help of 
Pap's mutes. Then fine tune with Pap's mutes".

This somewhat raises again a question considered on the list before - 
Whether it's best to use a muting strip to tune one string of each note and 
then do the unisons, or do the unisons as you go.  I know there are 
arguments for and against. Personaly I don't use a muting strip - I tune the 
unisons as I go, on any piano.  But I'd suggest that on most of the old 
overdamped upright pianos, any tiny subtleties gained or lost through using 
or not using the muting strip method, will not be significant enough to 
show.  If you are profficient with the Papps wedge, I think it has to be 
quicker than moving the action in and out to insert a muting strip.  A tip 
that's sometimes helpful in the bass bichords, is that you can sometimes use 
the broad end of the Papps wedge to mute the bass strings ABOVE the damper 
rail.

Best regards,

David.