Pianotech

Here's a youtube video of what i'm talking about:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lU75VAT3Qk

There seemed to be some questions as to what I was talking about in regards to Jahn tips, and their poor/ oblong fit. (maybe I received a defective one, and should get a replacement) Since my original message I had to purchase (at $35) an adapter to fit my Fujan lever.

I have brought this up in PTG meetings from time to time, and most people don't seem to care. But if there is all of this hype about having a stiff zero flex lever, and perfectly balanced weight and length, don't you think it should be matched with a good quality tip that fits tuning pins well.... like they used to. 

Your tip is the first thing that touches the pin, it provides your initial feedback to the tuning pin and block. So if its flailing around, there is a problem. Sure you can get used to it, like i have. But I want to expect more, now that we have more technology at our disposal.  

All all for the best, and stiffest lever available, because it makes a huge difference. When I got my Fujan lever, all piano tunings were 15 minutes faster. 

I have also tried most of the tuning tips out there, wantanabe, jahn, hale, chinese, schaff, AMS, and have been little impressed. I believe my wantanabe tip already loosened up within about 10 tunings. It had what i believed to be the cheapest and lightest metal used.

Here's a youtube video of what i'm talking about:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lU75VAT3Qk

There seemed to be some questions as to what I was talking about in regards to Jahn tips, and their poor/ oblong fit. (maybe I received a defective one, and should get a replacement) Since my original message I had to purchase (at $35) an adapter to fit my Fujan lever.

I have brought this up in PTG meetings from time to time, and most people don't seem to care. But if there is all of this hype about having a stiff zero flex lever, and perfectly balanced weight and length, don't you think it should be matched with a good quality tip that fits tuning pins well.... like they used to. 

Your tip is the first thing that touches the pin, it provides your initial feedback to the tuning pin and block. So if its flailing around, there is a problem. Sure you can get used to it, like i have. But I want to expect more, now that we have more technology at our disposal.  

All all for the best, and stiffest lever available, because it makes a huge difference. When I got my Fujan lever, all piano tunings were 15 minutes faster. 

I have also tried most of the tuning tips out there, wantanabe, jahn, hale, chinese, schaff, AMS, and have been little impressed. I believe my wantanabe tip already loosened up within about 10 tunings. It had what i believed to be the cheapest and lightest metal used.

There is no one size fits all tuning tip.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
704-536-7926

Personally, I feel the need for a stiff lever and tight fitting tip comes from a hammer technique that involves more wiggling than necessary. (IMHO none is necessary)

Recently at my stability class in Denver, I tuned a stable string in one pass using a torque wrench fitted with a tuning tip.

Regarding stiffness: the tuning pin bends and twists and the non-speaking length stretches independently of the stiffness of the hammer lever. (This produces consistent unbending/untwisting which results in a consistent change in the non-speaking length tension. Stability results from controlling the speaking/non-speaking length tensions.)

Regarding tip fit: Wiggling the pin requires the best fit possible. However, if one uses an efficient technique of analyzing the best final motion, which is in only one direction, the fit is not critical because there is final motion in only one direction. An analogy is sliding a box up a hill. Requiring a tight fitting tip is analogous to holding the box on both the downhill and uphill side as you slide the box uphill. With a loose fitting tip, as long as you have a solid contact in one direction, even though the tip feels loose if you change direction, as long as you are concentrating on getting the proper foot position in one direction, the looseness is not a concern and is not even felt; tight fitting and loose fitting tips feel the same when moving in only one direction.

This is how I tune. Obviously there are many ways to tune and no one way is the right way. However, this way, for me, has eliminated the need to search for the best fitting tip and stiffer hammer shank. Tuning should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.

------------------------------
Mark Cerisano, RPT
howtotunepianos.com

Original Message:
Sent: 12-31-2015 09:38
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Tuning Tips Debunked

There is no one size fits all tuning tip.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
704-536-7926

Personally, I feel the need for a stiff lever and tight fitting tip comes from a hammer technique that involves more wiggling than necessary. (IMHO none is necessary)

Recently at my stability class in Denver, I tuned a stable string in one pass using a torque wrench fitted with a tuning tip.

Regarding stiffness: the tuning pin bends and twists and the non-speaking length stretches independently of the stiffness of the hammer lever. (This produces consistent unbending/untwisting which results in a consistent change in the non-speaking length tension. Stability results from controlling the speaking/non-speaking length tensions.)

Regarding tip fit: Wiggling the pin requires the best fit possible. However, if one uses an efficient technique of analyzing the best final motion, which is in only one direction, the fit is not critical because there is final motion in only one direction. An analogy is sliding a box up a hill. Requiring a tight fitting tip is analogous to holding the box on both the downhill and uphill side as you slide the box uphill. With a loose fitting tip, as long as you have a solid contact in one direction, even though the tip feels loose if you change direction, as long as you are concentrating on getting the proper foot position in one direction, the looseness is not a concern and is not even felt; tight fitting and loose fitting tips feel the same when moving in only one direction.

This is how I tune. Obviously there are many ways to tune and no one way is the right way. However, this way, for me, has eliminated the need to search for the best fitting tip and stiffer hammer shank. Tuning should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.

------------------------------
Mark Cerisano, RPT
howtotunepianos.com

Original Message:
Sent: 12-31-2015 09:38
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Tuning Tips Debunked

There is no one size fits all tuning tip.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
704-536-7926

There is no one size fits all tuning tip.

I have always given a light lift and pull to lock the tip on the pin before turning. For lowering the tension, light lift and push. In either direction, lock the tip on the pin.

Square, tapered tuning pin ends have varied in dimension so much over time that no one tip will ever fit all pins perfectly.