for those on the fence about hearing protection..

[Rich Snelson]

I have a used Audio Dynamics sound level meter that I'm getting ready to 
sell.  It's a little older model but works well.
Rich
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:52 PM
Subject: RE: for those on the fence about hearing protection..


>I think the db gauge would be a way to quantify pounding.   I'm planing 
>looking at Radio Shack for a price.  I'm with you on the fortissimo blow. 
>Another to consider is the futile attempt to stabilize and piano after a 
>big pitch raise.   You can't do it.   All you can do is get some semblance 
>of stability and pounding the hell out of it won't help.
> Concert work shouldn't be dealing with pitch change or the piano isn't 
> getting tuned well or enough.  I'm making changes in the 1 cent range with 
> my concert instruments.
> I don't pound and they stay in tune and I don't put unnecessary wear and 
> tear on the piano or me.
>
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, CA  94044
>
> ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
> From: "Richard Brekne" <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Received: 3/26/2008 2:30:33 PM
> Subject: for those on the fence about hearing protection..
>
>
>>Hi JF
>
>>I almost decided to drop a comment along the lines of  <<define
>>pounding>>, but then several of the more enthusiastic pro-pounding posts
>>have included comments along the lines of providing near nuclear blasts
>>to the keys... :)  Ok thats an over statement but when folks mention its
>>not too hard until you start breaking things, and that if you dont beat
>>it into tuning the pianist will beat it out of tuning then I kinda get
>>the idea one is talking about a fairly severe blow... something in the
>>neighborhood of an ffff+ thing I supose.  I seldom get above simple
>>fortisimo... that is to say a single solitary f.  My tunings hold up
>>extremely well.  And I am a long ways from the only tuner I am aware of
>>who has very stable tunings and does not bang away with heavy test blows
>>or in any sense of the word use test blows to bang the thing into tune.
>>The various pounding tools I've seen demonstrated on occasion just plain
>>scare me... but to each their own.
>
>>All this said... I suppose it would be a good idea to somehow quantify
>>exactly how hard each of us hits when these discussions come up...as in
>>some kind of pounds quantity.  In the end tho..... you can indeed tune
>>with very quite blows and end up with very stable results if you just
>>develop your hand, arm and wrist technique appropriately.  I can do it,
>>and I've seen it done by more then a few others.
>
>>Cheers
>>RicB
>
>
>>    Al and Ric,
>>    We probably have different definitions of "pounding."
>
>>    There was a tuner in the area that *every* strike was about as loud
>>    as my
>>    normal test blow (90-100 dB).  Then his test blows were even louder
>>    than his
>>    normal, which were louder than my test blow.
>
>>    It's probably all in the definition.  I'm not a pounder by my friend's
>>    definition, or by my own definition.  I might be by yours.  And as I
>>    said
>>    early on in this discussion, I'm always open to learning different
>>    ways of
>>    stabilization.   (Like using a hammer shank, which I brought up a
>>    few years
>>    back.  It works, but it's more cumbersome.)
>
>>    --
>>    JF
>