[pianotech] Pitch Raises?

[Joseph Garrett]

Les asked: "I'd like to know if there is any consensus about what point in
discussing a
pitch raise one tells the client it will not be stable, and will require
another tuning in a day-week-month, or whatever choice people raise.. Would
appreciate feedback. Thanks"
 
les,
If the piano is in a stable environment and there are no mechanical
problems, I see no reason why the piano would "..not be stable...", etc. Of
course, you need to define a "pitch raise". There are pitch raises and then
there are PITCH RAISES!<G>
If you do an adequate job of raising the pitch and socking a good tuning
afterward, it should be good to go for at least 6 months! A quick and dirty
pitch raise and quicky tuning, of course, will not be stable. There are
some caveats. If the piano was moved from a bad environ and was not allowed
to settle into it's new environ sufficiently, it won't be stable, imo.
Also, if you are doing a pitch raise of over 1/4 step, there isn't a piano
or pitch raising system that will even begin to make it stable. (flack suit
on<G>) I do a lot of English over-damper pianos that are more than a major
third flat, (I suspect they were De-tuned, before shipping<G>). Those
beasts, because of the light structure, etc., are very unstable for up to a
year of chasing the darned pitch around. That's my experience. 
Regards,
Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I